RUGBY/Connacht 20 Llanelli 18:The news filtering through from Galway can hardly have helped to ease the chill around Ravenhill last night. Andy Dunne's 81st-minute penalty gave Connacht their third Magner's League victory of the season and left Ulster rooted at the bottom of the table.
The basement of the Celtic league is developing into a fascinating chase between Connacht and Ulster, and with last night's humdinger against Munster postponed because of snow and power cuts in Belfast, Connacht electrified the Sportsground with a victory that leaves their illustrious rivals with much to ponder.
This was the break Michael Bradley and Connacht have been searching for in this league. On the stroke of full time, it looked as though Llanelli were about to become the latest team to give Connacht a bitter lesson in closing a match out.
All evening, Connacht had coped comfortably with the visitors' attack. They scarcely missed a tackle, matched up well in the scrum and stole a wonderful lineout in the last five minutes.
And yet as the game reached injury-time, it was Llanelli's Rhys Priestland who fussed over the ball as he prepared for a 42-metre penalty dead in front of the posts.
The Welsh outhalf is a strong boy and had been flawless in his kicking all night, and hard as the home crowd pounded on the terraces, his kick sailed between the posts with plenty to spare.
It gave Llanelli an 18-17 lead, their first of the match. For the first time on this icy night, the Sportsground was silent and for the devout - around 1,700 punters turned out - it seemed another slap in the face.
For this was Connacht's game to lose. With 65 minutes gone, they led 17-12 and had soaked up with relative comfort Llanelli's attempts to beat them with a running game.
Then small mistakes began to add up. John Fogarty came in at hooker and was immediately required to throw his first lineout ball. Connacht lost possession. A minute later, Aidan Wynne hesitated and then opted to fling a quick lineout to fullback Gavin Duffy. The idea was good, the delay fatal: Duffy was forced to kick under pressure, flanker James Bater caught the ball overhead and, from the attack, Llanelli won a penalty, 17-15.
Four minutes later, Duffy - rock solid throughout at fullback - launched a Garryowen into the stiff breeze and found himself competing with Nathan Thomas for the rights to the sky. Thomas is a behemoth and moves like a juggernaut - and now he moved through a splintered Connacht defensive line. Priestland collected and chipped through to the corner and winger Mark Jones appeared to be inches from touching down in the corner when he lost control of the ball.
These were huge, jittery moments and there was worse to come. After Connacht won an invaluable penalty near their own 10-metre line, Duffy tried to squeeze every last metre out of his kick, but Nathan Brew prevented the ball reaching touch and began the counterattack that led to Llanelli's penalty.
The Connacht men lumbered back, hands raised high on heads, exhausted and battered by that furious five minutes.
That series of small errors seemed to point up the difference between cruising in this league and fighting for breathing space at the bottom. For, once again, Connacht performed admirably here. It was one of those cagey, bruising mid-winter encounters, and Llanelli, flying into Galway after a New Year's Day loss to the Dragons, seemed content to sit back and force Connacht to show their hand.
Llanelli possess a ferociously strong three-quarter line, and they showed little fear in running at Connacht from wherever they chose, but they made few inroads. The local pressure was, as ever, intense and in the last 10 minutes of the half the Welsh were made pay for their wandering tendencies.
Connacht intent was made clear when Darren Yapp thundered along the right wing to close a tremendous distance on Mark Jones, who was static and waiting to receive a looping crossfield kick from Connacht outhalf Andy Dunne. He was placed a yard outside his own 22 and Llanelli were fortunate not be penalised for knocking on after Yapp's tackle.
But after the visitors prepared for a rudimentary kick for touch, Conor O'Loughlin dashed from the ruck and got hands on the clearance by Priestland. The blockdown fell perfectly for the scrumhalf and he jubilantly touched down for his third try in five matches.
Although Dunne had been perfect with three penalties prior to the conversion, this attempt faded from the far post. On such a tricky night, this was forgivable.
Still, a full 10-point advantage would have been a comfort. As is often the case, Connacht enjoyed plenty of possession in the first half but couldn't translate it all onto the scoreboard.
After 80 minutes, it seemed like the same old story but with Connacht scrapping for possession after the restart on Priestland's penalty, lock Scott Mcleod was whistled for offside in the ruck. Dunne stepped up to give Connacht their first victory of the year. Who knows how important it will prove later in the season?
CONNACHT: G Duffy; D Yapp, M Mostyn (C McPhillips, 44 inj), M Deane, A Wynne; A Dunne, C O'Loughlin; B Wilkinson, A Flavin (Fogarty, 68 mins), R Morris; D Gannon (M Swift, 49 mins), A Farley; M McCarthy, J O'Connor; C Rigney.
LLANELLI: M Stoddart (C Thomas, 61 mins), N Brew, M Watkins, R King, M Jones; R Priestland, L Davies (G Cattle, 71 mins); P John, M Rees (J Hayter, 39 mins), B Douglas; A Eustace, S Mcleod; S Easterby, J Bater; N Thomas.
Referee: A McPherson (Scotland).
