Challenge Cup: Connacht 52 Lyon 24
Connacht succeeded in consolidating pole position in their European Challenge Cup pool with a nine-try fest at Dexcom Stadium.
This top-of-the-pool clash was expected to be a bruising encounter – the French outfit having arrived in Galway boasting four internationals in their pack – but it was Connacht who produced the necessary physicality and precision to deliver a dominant performance.
With both sides having won their opening two encounters – Connacht having beaten Zebre and Perpignan; Lyon with wins over Cardiff and Zebre – this was always going to be a key fixture in their bids to take pole position.
Connacht did have the slight edge, having picked up the full 10 points, but with Lyon having also won their opening two games – a bonus-point win at home to Cardiff and a 21-19 win away to Zebre – this was expected to be a nail-biting fixture in both side’s ambitions to top the group.
However it was Connacht who dominated, led by man of the match Ben Murphy, and by half-time Pete Wilkins’s side had firmly established their superiority, having control for long periods. They had bagged the bonus-point fourth try by the break, dominated both territory and possession, and were quickest off the mark, taking a 7-0 lead after just three minutes. It came courtesy of an intercept by Cian Prendergast, and scrumhalf Ben Murphy had the legs and pace to race in from 60 metres to score, with outhalf Josh Ioane adding the extras.
Pete Wilkins’ side continued to show greater enterprise with ball in hand, but did not have all their own way with the French side packing some power up front, and it was that domination which provided them with opportunities before Page Relo opted to kick a penalty to open their scoring after 12 minutes.
However, within minutes the French side had conceded a second try after fullback Tchaptchet was caught offside. Connacht went to touch eight metres from the try line, a solid set piece led by captain Cain Prendergast ensued, and when the backs joined the assault, it resulted in a try for number eight Sean Jansen after 14 minutes – the missed conversion giving them a 12-3 lead.
Within four minutes and with all the momentum, they had bagged their third with Finlay Bealham touching down, kick-started by a superb 50:20 kick by from Cordero before the pack took control from the lineout. A yellow card to Oisin Dowling helped Lyon to bag a 25th-minute try through a lineout and drive, closing the gap to 19-10, but they failed to take advantage of another penalty opportunity, an overcooked kick from Fletcher Smith not helping their chase.
Connacht’s continuing control ensured the home side reaped the rewards, a Ioane penalty and a fourth try and bonus point followed through second-half replacement Josh Murphy, his first try for Connacht.
By the 46th minute the home side had bagged the fourth try and bonus point. Bundee Aki was again influential, making an incisive outside break, Chay Mullins added the necessary pace and impetus, and the final pass found the supporting Ben Murphy who finished off, bagging his seventh try in 10 games, to give Connacht a 37-10 lead.
As the puff went out of Lyon’s challenge, the try fest continued with a seventh try through replacement Jack Aungier, and although replacement Lyon hooker Guillaume Marchand grabbed a try in the 68th minute from a rolling maul, it was of little consequence to the final score. That ended with Dylan Tierney Martin and Shamus Hurley-Langton adding their names to the try sheet to extend Connacht’s winning margin with a dominant display.
Scoring sequence: 2 mins Murphy try, Ioane con 7-0; 11 mins Pag-Relo 7-3; 14 mins Jansen try, 12-3; 17 mins Bealham try, Ioane con 19-3; 23 mins S Matevasi try, Pag-Relo con 19-10; 34 mins Ioane pen 22-10; 38 mins B Murphy try 27-10; 41 mins J Murphy try 32-10; 45 mins B Murphy try 37-10; 48 mins Regard try, Meiland con 37-17; 53 mins J Aungier try 42-17; 69 mins Marchand try and con 42-24; 72 mins Tierney-Martin try 47-24; 83 mins Hurley-Langton try 52-24
Yellow cards: Lyon, S Radradra (38); Connacht, O Dowling (22)
CONNACHT RUGBY: S Cordero, C Mullins, P O’Conor, B Aki, S Jennings, J Ioane, B Murphy, P Dooley, D Heffernan, F Bealham, O Dowling, J Joyce, C Prendergast (capt), S Hurley-Langton, S Jansen. Replacements: J Murphy for Dowling (41 mins), D Tierney-Martin for Heffernan, J Aungier for Bealham and D Hawkshaw for Jennings (all 52 mins), J Duggan for Dooley (58 mins), P Boyle for Prendergast and C Blade for Murphy (58 mins), C Forde for Aki (72 mins).
LYON OLYMPIQUE UNIVERSITAIRE: A Tchaptchet, S Radradra, J Maraku, T Regard, V Rattez, F Smith, M Page-Relo, H Kaabeche, S Matavesi, I Aptsiauri, F Lambey (capt), T Lavanini, S Blanc-Mappaz, M Okuya, M Gouzou. Replacements: M Meliande for Fletcher-Smith (40 mins), G Marchand for Matavesi and J Ainsley for Kaabeche (47 mins), L Pakihivatau for Aptsiauri (52 mins), P Pacheco for Okuya (55 mins), K Geraci for Lambey and C Cassang for Page-Relo (both 61 mins), A Parisien for Regard (54 mins), M Meliande for Fletcher-Smith (40 mins).
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland).
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