RUGBY:THIS HARDLY flowed like honey but in its own way this taut, titanic, tryless encounter was evidence of both teams' progress this season. Like a dog with a bone, Connacht clung on to Ulster for dear life and wouldn't let go, emerging with a creditable draw that was beyond them for the last four seasons.
Hence the teams sit fourth and fifth this morning respectively, eight and six points above Leinster. Ulster could rotate richer resources and have the depth to sustain their challenge, but a sizeable, noisy home crowd would have taken enormous encouragement from the fact the Eric Elwood-inspired stirrings in the west are also the real deal.
A muscular Ulster had much more of the territory and possession but though Paddy Wallace was a modest success following the Ireland management’s request to play him at outhalf, Ulster seemed determined to revive the international ambitions of the outstanding Gavin Duffy, who heroically defied a back injury and a couple of heavy tumbles.
Andrew Trimble, utterly unused on the wing, would need to temper his exuberance in contesting high kicks, for while it is doubtful he has a malicious bone in his body his aerial tackle on Mike McComish – the second of its type – left Alain Rolland no option but to bin him, while Paul Emerick aped an American football linebacker in the way he blatantly took out Fionn Carr.
By contrast, Ray Ofisa’s trip on Trimble was nothing like as dangerous.
At least Connacht tried to work the fleet-footed Carr into the game occasionally, for he sent tremors of anticipation through the crowd and fear through Ulster ranks in equal measure.
But they were forced to live off scraps by Ulster’s competitiveness on their throw and at the breakdown.
The home crowd were aggrieved with Rolland’s 8-12 penalty count, the home side coming off worse at the breakdown and the plethora of reset scrums.
For example, Paul Marshall’s delayed put-ins appeared to be playing for the scrum penalty with which Wallace put Ulster 12-9 up on the hour.
But despite having the more difficult kicks, Ian Keatley landed five from six (Wallace was four from five, Niall O’Connor one from two) to earn a share of the spoils.
With Mike Forshaw having given a new organisation and meanness to their defence, this was the least Connacht deserved, with thunderous hits by Ofisa and Keith Matthews setting the tone
“We’re disappointed with the way we played in attack,” said Elwood. “We just didn’t respect the ball, we turned over the ball very cheaply.”
This partly stemmed from the presence of a big crowd at the Sportsground, though the cracking atmosphere which the near 4,000 attendance generated undoubtedly helped Connacht draw level four times and thus end an eight-match, four-year losing streak to Ulster.
On the balance of play, Ulster could possibly feel more disappointed, but as the away side, Brian McLaughlin was content enough to have made off with something from the trek west against a resurgent team, even if he lamented the failure to press home their advantage with an attacking scrum when 15-12 ahead three minutes from time.
“To be fair, Connacht defended exceptionally well, they put us under ferocious pressure, they kept knocking us back. They were ferocious in the contact area but to be fair to us, I thought we were quite good around the ruck.
“I don’t think we kicked well. We put the ball down Gavin’s throat quite a bit and Gavin had a smashing game. You can’t kick down Gavin’s throat, you’ve got to move him, and we didn’t do that. Our kicking accuracy was very poor.”
As usual, Connacht have been given the short straw in having to play Cardiff away next Thursday, to accommodate television and the Ryder Cup. By contrast, the Dragons-Treviso match was switched to Italy.
“It’s like a scene from MASH down there,” Elwood said of the home dressingroom.
“There’s bodies everywhere. It’s a huge ask for us. There’s no training on Monday, we’ve got one session on Tuesday, we travel on Wednesday, we play Thursday, we’re staying in Swansea, and we’re playing in Cardiff. It’s tough, it’s unfair, it’s crazy. Cardiff played last night so they’ve an extra day’s rest. It’s a TV game, TV dictates, so that’s what we have to do.”
McLaughlin, whose primary concern was the rib injury with which Stephen Ferris departed early on, was none too envious of Connacht’s schedule.
“Short turnarounds are very, very difficult,” he said. “Every game in this Magners League is physical. The Ospreys are exceptionally physical, Aironi are exceptionally physical, Connacht are exceptionally physical – jeepers, it is a tough league and there’s no respite. It just goes week after week and if you’ve got a short turnaround, that’s the importance of having a good squad.”
So it is McLaughlin can bring back the rested Johann Muller, perhaps start BJ Botha and Niall OConnor, maybe give Ruan Pienaar his debut along with a few other options.
No such luxuries for Elwood. Having gone to the well with the same starting team, Connacht’s squad size and injury toll leaves him little or no elbow room.
“We don’t have any forwards standing, we have one young lad, a development lad standing. ‘Everyone else, you’re coming’.
“A couple more options in the backline but we want to go with a purpose to every game we play and that’s our objective come Thursday. So whatever it takes.”
Scoring sequence: 19 mins: Wallace pen 0-3; 22: Keatley pen 3-3; 25: Keatley pen 6-3; 33: Wallace pen 6-6; (half-time 6-6); 44: Wallace pen 6-9; 50: Keatley pen 9-9; 60: Wallace pen 9-12; 66: Keatley pen 12-12; 68: O’Connor pen 12-15; 74: Keatley pen 15-15.
CONNACHT: G Duffy; T Nathan, N Ta'auso, K Matthews, F Carr; I Keatley, F Murphy (capt); B Wilkinson, S Cronin, J Hagan, M Swift, B Upton, M McCarthy, R Ofisa, M McComish. Replacements: R Loughney for Wilkinson (52-60 mins), A Browne for Upton (52 mins), C Willis for Murphy (62 mins), M Nikora for Duffy (73 mins). Sinbinned: Ofisa (18-28 mins).
ULSTER: J Smith; P Emerick, D Cave, I Whitten, A Trimble; P Wallace, P Marshall; B Young, R Best (Capt), T Court, T Barker, R Caldwell, S Ferris, C Henry, P Wannenburg. Replacements: W Faloon for Ferris (11 mins), BJ Botha for Young (42 mins), D Tuohy for Barker, N O'Connor for Whitten (both 56 mins), D McIlwaine for Emerick (67 mins), A Kyriacou for Best (71 mins), P McAllister for Botha (77 mins). Sinbinned: Emerick (24-34 mins), Trimble (64-74 mins).
Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU).
