URC: Connacht 31 Scarlets 14
Connacht delivered a much-needed win over the Scarlets to give them further momentum in their quest for a top-eight place in the URC.
Their fifth win of the season came at Dexcom Stadium, where Connacht have now produced three timely victories in succession.
The hosts led from start to finish, with Sean Jansen supplying two first-half tries for a 12-0 half-time lead.
Controlling the first quarter, Connacht reaped the rewards from a series of penalties before Jansen delivered the opening try. Sean Naughton, an early replacement for fullback Sam Gilbert, added the extras.
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By the 20th minute Connacht looked to have struck a second try through John Devine, but it was chalked off after the TMO spotted an earlier obstruction.
It gave Scarlets a brief lift, but they were unable to make the breakthrough as Connacht denied scrumhalf Gareth Davies and forced a knock-on.
Connacht struck again before the break when capitalising on a penalty to touch, and eventually Jansen delivered, Naughton again converting to push the gap to 12 for the break.
After the restart, Connacht raised their intensity immediately and within minutes had their third try of the evening. Outhalf Josh Ioane pulled the strings before Jack Aungier finished under the posts to put them 19-0 ahead.
But the visitors then came to life when Joe Roberts shrugged off a tackle to score, before fullback Ioan Jones bagged their second following a similar mix-up in the Connacht defence. The clock at 54 minutes, the gap was now just five points.
But Connacht were to strike against when a superb midfield break created the space for Fiachna Barrett, who made the line to deliver the bonus-point try.
Momentum restore, the hosts nearly added another through captain Paul Boyle, who was tackled just shy of the line, while another was chalked off for no clear grounding. But Eoin de Buitléar made sure of his finished after a sustained effort on the Scarlets’ try line, Naughton adding the extras for 31-14.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 16 MINS: Jansen try, Naughton con 7-0; 37: Jansen try 12-0; Half-time 12-0; 46: Aungier try, Naughton con 19-0; 49: Roberts try, Leggatt-Jones con 19-7; 53: Jones try, Leggatt-Jones con 19-14 57: Barrett try 24-14; 65: de Buitléar try, Naughton con 31-14
CONNACHT: S Gilbert; S Jennings, J Devine, C Forde, C Mullins; J Ioane, C Reilly; P Dooley, D Tierney-Martin, J Aungier; D O’Connor, J Joyce; J Murphy, P Boyle, S Jansen. Replacements: S Naughton for Gilbert (10 mins), E de Buitléar for Tierney-Martin (31), J Duggan for Dooley, F Barrett for Aungier (both 54), B Murphy for Reilly (59), S O’Brien for Jansen (61), N Murray for O’Connor (62), O McCormack for Forde (63),
SCARLETS: I Jones; J Davies, J Roberts, J Williams, M Page; C Leggatt-Jones, G Davies; K Mathias, M van der Merwe, H Thomas; S Lousi, J Ball; M Douglas, J Taylor, F Anderson. Replacements: J Price for Ball (20-30 mins, 48), A Hughes for Davies, H O’Connor for Thomas (both 48), S O’Connor for Mathias (60), H Thomas for van Der Merwe, J Davis for Lousi, T Lewis for Jones (all 65).
Referee: R Campbell (SCO).
