Connacht 61-5 Brive
CONNACHT’S MASSIVE BONUS-POINT win over Brive at the Sportsground was enough to secure their place in the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup.
Tries from John Porch, Finlay Bealham, Cathal Forde, and two from Alex Wootton saw the hosts register the bonus point before half-time at the Sportsground.
Connacht were on their way to three from three in a competition where they remain consistent despite their poor form domestically and took a 33-5 half-time lead after Wootton’s second try.
Wootton added a third on the resumption, while Conor Oliver, Conor Fitzgerald and Kieran Marmion rounded things off.
Brive only arrived in Shannon Airport this morning on their day trip to Ireland with a second-string lineup and were caught napping in the third minute.
Connacht won a penalty deep in opposition territory and Jack Carty spotted the space out wide, kicked cross-field and Porch raced in to claim the ball over his head and score.
It wasn’t long before Connacht had their second try, Wootton and Mack Hansen dazzled down the left wing before Bealham was handed the opportunity close to the line and he scored. Carty kicked his second conversion and it was 14-0 by the ninth minute.
Connacht struck for a third time before the quarter mark, Peter Dooley burst through in midfield, Colm Reilly missed out Carty with the pass and Forde powered over in the right corner.
The bonus point effort came in the 24th minute when Hansen caused mayhem again before Dave Heffernan and Hansen were stopped short only for Wootton to follow up.
Wootton scored his second try after some more sloppy defence and Carty piled on the misery for a 33-0 advantage. Winger Fabien scored the consolation try for Brive but they still trailed by 28 points at half-time.
The game unravelled in the second half but Wootton completed his hat-trick in the 51st minute before further efforts from Oliver, Fitzgerald and Marmion.
Connacht scorers:
- Tries: Wootton (3), Porch, Bealham, Forde, Oliver, Fitzgerald, Marmion.
- Conversions: Carty (8/9)
Brive scorers:
- Try: Fabien.
Connacht: Mack Hansen; John Porch (Conor Fitzgerald, 58), Byron Ralston, Cathal Forde (Tom Daly, 58), Alex Wootton; Jack Carty, Colm Reilly (Kieran Marmion, 66); Peter Dooley (Jordan Duggan, 52), Dave Heffernan (Dylan Tierney-Martin, 62), Finlay Bealham (Jack Aungier, 52); Josh Murphy, Niall Murray (Leva Fifita, 58); Cian Prendergast, Conor Oliver, Jarrad Butler (Ciaran Booth, 62).
Brive: Maxence Biasotto (Noé Bedou, 60); Kevin Fabien, Wesley Douglas, Nico Lee (Enzo Herve, 46), Valentin Tirefort (Tom Danovaro, 21); Tom Raffy, Vasil Lobzhanidze (Léo Carbonneau, 46); Hayden Thompson-Stringer (Nathan Fraissenon, 52), Vano Karkadze (Aymeric Tronc, 60), Tietie Tuimauga (Francisco Coria Marchetti, 38 HIA); Andrés Zafra, Oskar Rixen; Matthieu Voisin, Sacha Gue, Abraham Papali’i (Joeli Matalaweru, 52).
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy).
Get instant updates on your province on The42 app. With Laya Healthcare, official health and wellbeing partner to Leinster, Munster and Connacht Rugby.
