Connacht 14
Dragons 9
John Fallon reports from the Sportsground
Connacht just about did enough to get across the line in a poor encounter at the Sportsground.
Both sides were guilty of a string of errors but a good start was enough in the end for Pat Lam’s men to make it two wins in a row.
Connacht needed to lay down a marker and get command of this encounter and they did it in style when Jack Carty and Matt Healy combined to send Tiernan O’Halloran through for a try after just five minutes.
Caolin Blade, drafted in as a late replacement after Kieran Marmion came back sore from Irish training yesterday, nabbed the second when he pounced to run through a sleepy Dragons defence.
Craig Ronaldson converted both for Connacht to lead 14-0 after 14 minutes.
Dragons, beaten 45-17 by Munster in Cork last weekend, struggled to get into the game but replacement out-half Angus O’Brien got them off the mark with a penalty after 18 minutes and that left it 14-3 at the interval.
Two more penalties from O’Brien ensured a nervous finish for Connacht but they did enough to get over the line.
John Cooney thought he had grabbed a clinching try late in the match but was whistled back for a midfield infringement in the build-up.
Connacht scorersTries: Tiernan O’Halloran, Caolin BladeConversions: Craig Ronaldson 2 / 2Dragons scorers
Penalties: Angus O’Brien 3 / 3
Connacht: Tiernan O’Halloran; Niyi Adeolokun, Tom Farrell, Craig Ronaldson (Rory Parata ’77), Matt Healy; Jack Carty, Caolin Blade (John Cooney ’57); Denis Buckley (Ronan Loughney ’78), Dave Heffernan (Tom McCartney ’57), Finlay Bealham (JP Cooney ’78); Ultan Dillane (Nepia Fox-Matamua ’63), Quinn Roux (James Cannon ’69); Sean O’Brien, Jake Heenan, John Muldoon.
Dragons: Tom Prydie; Adam Hughes, Tyler Morgan, Adam Warren (Sam Beard ’68), Pat Howard; Dorian Jones (Angus O’Brien ’15), Tavis Knoyle (Sarel Pretorious ’77); Sam Hobbs (Thomas Davies ’60), Elliot Dee, Brok Harris (Llyod Fairbrother ’60); Nick Crosswell, Rynard Landman (Cory Hill ’40); Ollie Griffiths (Harrison Keddie ’77), Nic Cudd, Lewis Evans.
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU).
