United Rugby Championship: Connacht 21 Edinburgh 31
Connacht, racking up their 12th defeat and tumbling down the table to 14th, suffered another “frustrating” loss to end their home URC season.
Although any slim hope of qualifying for the top eight had been decided ahead of the kick-off against Edinburgh at Dexcom, interim head coach Cullie Tucker says it was another disappointing result.
“Ultimately, it came down to the 16 or 17 penalties we gave away the 12 times we got into the 22,” he says. “And it’s very frustrating, as it has been all year.”
With just five wins from 17 fixtures, and a remaining game against Zebre in Parma next week, Tucker acknowledges it “isn’t good enough”, but believes Connacht are close to turning those losses into gains.
“What I would say is 15 bonus points means you’re not that far away, and that’s been a frustrating thing. In the 22 we’re just not quite clinical enough, not finishing off.
“It’s hoping all those young guys and us as a team will grow next season and start taking those opportunities. When you’re that close in so many games, it’s just a bit of belief and a bit of consistency in what we do. We have to make sure we continue to move forward and progress. That’s the most important thing.”
Frustratingly Connacht enjoyed a surfeit of possession and territorial control, but lacked the clinical efficiency to capitalise against a dogged Edinburgh side, stacked with some 300 international caps.
Giving nothing away to Connacht early in the first half, Edinburgh were ahead by 14-0 after 27 minutes, capitalising on three successive penalties before the influential Ali Price helped South African Pierre Schoeman crash over after eight minutes, outhalf Ross Thompson adding the extras.
Bundee Aki, as always, led the attack for Connacht, but the home side was denied a try due to a forward pass in the build-up, and by the half-hour mark Hamish Watson, with a dynamic run down the left wing, added try number two.
Connacht, however, gave the crowd something to cheer about in this final home game of the season. Within two minutes of the restart. Shayne Bolton made the crucial break, and with a big carry from Prendergast, and Aki again influential, Finn Treacy bagged a try, with Hanrahan adding the extras. Within minutes Treacy added a second to level the scores.
Connacht, however, continued to leak penalties, and the visitors made it count with a 57th-minute converted try for Ben Muncaster. Once again Connacht replied. From a penalty to touch, Peter Dooley and Josh Murphy were instrumental in the build-up before Santiago Cordero found Bolton who had the pace to claim the third try, levelling the fixture at 21-21.
While Connacht were denied a fourth try despite the best efforts of Paul Boyle, Edinburgh produced the winner through replacement Charlie Shiel. Healy converted and added a late penalty, forcing Connacht to sign off a difficult season with a 12th loss.
Scoring sequence: 7 mins Schoeman try, Thompson con 0-7; 26 mins Watson try, Thompson con 0-14; Half-time: 0-14; 41 mins Treacy try, Hanrahan con, 7-14; 51 mins Treacy try, Hanrahan con 14-14; 57 mins: Muncaster try, Thompson con 14-21; 65 mins: Bolton try, Hanrahan con 21-21; 72 mins: Shiel try, Healy con 21-28; 79m Healy pen 21-31.
Connacht: S Cordero, S Bolton, H Gavin, B Aki, F Treacy, JJ Hanrahan, B Murphy, D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham, J Murphy, D Murray, C Prendergast (capt), C Oliver, S Jansen. Replacements: D Hawkshaw for Gavin (HT), P Boyle for Jansen and O Dowling for Murray (both 54 mins), P Dooley for Buckley, D Tierney Martin for Heffernan and J Aungier for Bealham (62 mins), C Blade for Murphy (66 mins), Murray for Dowling (71 mins).
Edinburgh Rugby: W Goosen, D Graham, M Currie, M Tuipulotu, J Brown, R Thompson, A Price, P Schoeman, E Ashman, D Rae, M Sykes, S Skinner, B Muncaster, H Watson, M Bradbury (capt). Replacements: P Harrison, B Venter, J Sebastian for Rae (50 mins), F Thompson for Tuipulotu (54 mins), P Harrison for Ashman (66 mins), G Young, L McConnell, C Shiel for Price (67 mins), G Young for Sykes and B Healy for Thompson (both 71 mins), L McConnell for Muncaster (73 mins).
Referee: Ben Breakspear (WRU).
