Reality check for Connacht in first of their derby games

Connacht 19

Ulster 32

Rob Murphy at the Sportsground

IN hindsight, we probably should have foreseen this performance from Connacht. We had seen patches of it throughout the season, disjointed attack play with passes that are slightly off, decisions that leave you scratching your head and a set piece that has been mis-firing. All the evidence was there to suggest that Connacht were going to have a bad day at the office like this at some point.

Connacht actually played quite well in the first half, but the storm clouds were quite literally gathering and after halftime Ulster found another gear. With the wind and rain at their backs, they completely dominated the contest, outscoring their opponents by 18 points in the process. This was some statement from a team missing virtually an entire starting 15 for the contest.

Yes, Ulster arrived in Galway having not won an away inter-provincial in over five years and without 15 key squad members including the likes of Marcell Coetzee, Jacob Stockdale, Stuart McCloskey, John Cooney, Ian Henderson, Rob Herring and Sean Reidy to name just a few. Yet they have Dan McFarland at the helm and no coach in this PRO14 competition knows Galway, the Sportsground and Connacht rugby as well as the former player and forwards coach.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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