A SPECIAL NIGHT for Connacht as three British and Irish Lions started for them for the first time in history but they were unable to crown it with a win when a comeback came up agonisingly short at Dexcom Stadium.
Connacht have only had seven Lions in history and not since Ciaran Fitzgerald and current IRFU president John O’Driscoll togged out together for the province in the 1980s have they had more than two on the pitch at the same time.
Add in three others included in Andy Farrell’s autumn squad this week and Stuart Lancaster got his first taste of a full strength side since joining in the summer.
But Connacht found themselves trailing 12-7 at the break despite enjoying the bulk of the possession in a half where they were reduced to 14 men for most of the second quarter after flanker Josh Murphy was red-carded for 20 minutes after striking Bulls hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Murphy pleaded to referee Mike Adamson that his reaction was due to Wessels grabbing him in the groin but TMO Hollie Davidson found the evidence inconclusive despite numerous camera angles.
The Bulls struck within a minute for their second try with veteran full-back Willie le Roux breaking down the left to score after exchanging passes with winger Sebastian de Klerk. Keagan Johannes landed the conversion from the left.
It was a big blow to a Connacht side who started solidly and were good value for their 7-0 lead after ten minutes. Josh Ioane, who had found a good touch inside the 22, pounced after several phases after the Bulls made a mess of the lineout and the Connacht out-half spotted a gap to score before adding the extras.
But Connacht’s propensity for conceding after scoring, which dogged them last year, surfaced again and the Pretoria side hit back in less than two minutes. Wingers Canan Moodie and de Klerk, dangerous throughout, combined down the left and scrum-half Paul de Wet supplied the finish.
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Jan Hendrik Wessels is tackled by Cian Prendergast. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Connacht got back on top but Murphy’s red card took the sting out of their attack. Bundee Aki went into a few scrums until Sean O’Brien replaced Murphy just before the break and aside from le Roux’s score, Connacht defended well and should have reduced the margin nine minutes before the interval with a penalty from 25 metres but pulled it across goal.
Johannes extended the lead with a drop goal while he had a penalty advantage three minutes after the restart but a Mack Hansen kick and chase led to a turnover which Ioane exploited with another good break, feeding Byron Ralston who in turn put scrum-half Caolin Blade in for a try at the end of a week when he was recalled to the Irish squad. Ioane’s excellent conversion from the left cut the gap to 15-14 after 46 minutes.
But the South Africans hit back and quick hands saw de Klerk put de Wet through for his second try after 54 minutes to lead 22-14 before Johannes extended it with a 60th minute penalty.
Replacement full-back Sean Naughton got Connacht back in the game when he chased a Shayne Bolton kick and scored when Johannes lost his footing.
Johannes hit back with a penalty to make it 28-19 but Connacht responded with Naughton landing a penalty from 45 metres to get them within a score and then a penalty to the right corner after a high hit on Naughton by le Roux led to a succession of drives before Hansen scored in the right corner in the final minute to cut the gap to a point.
Naughton stepped forward with a conversion from the right wing into a tricky wind and he got two goes at it when the Bulls broke early, his first effort missing the left post by inches and his second one not coming in enough and went a foot outside the right post.
Scorers: Connacht: Tries: J Ioane, C Blade, S Naughton, M Hansen. Cons: Ioane (2 from 3), S Naughton (0 from 1). Pens: Ioane (0 from 1), Naughton (1 from 1).
Bulls: Tries: P de Wet (2), W le Roux. Cons: K Johannes (2 from 3). Pens: Johannes (2 from 2). Drop goal: Johannes.
Connacht: Mack Hansen; Chay Mullins (Sean Naughton 55), Byron Ralston, Bundee Aki (Cathal Forde 60), Shayne Bolton; Josh Ioane, Caolin Blade (Matthew Devine 66); Peter Dooley (Jordan Duggan 52), Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham (Jack Aungier 58); Darragh Murray, David O’Connor (Joe Joyce 52); Josh Murphy (Sean O’Brien 39), Cian Prendergast (c) (Dylan Tierney-Martin 55), Sean Jansen.
Bulls: Willie le Roux; Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Jan Serfontein (Harold Vorster 66), Sebastian de Klerk; Keagan Johannes, Paul de Wet (Embrose Papier 75); Alu Tshakweni (Gerhard Steenekamp 60), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Johan Grobbelaar 60), Wilco Louw (Francois Klopper 55); Cobus Wiese, Reinhardt Ludwig (c); Nama Xaba, JJ Theron, Jeandre Rudolph.
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Connacht buoyed by Lions but fall agonisingly short against Bulls
Connacht 27
Bulls 28
John Fallon reports from Dexcom Stadium
A SPECIAL NIGHT for Connacht as three British and Irish Lions started for them for the first time in history but they were unable to crown it with a win when a comeback came up agonisingly short at Dexcom Stadium.
Connacht have only had seven Lions in history and not since Ciaran Fitzgerald and current IRFU president John O’Driscoll togged out together for the province in the 1980s have they had more than two on the pitch at the same time.
Add in three others included in Andy Farrell’s autumn squad this week and Stuart Lancaster got his first taste of a full strength side since joining in the summer.
But Connacht found themselves trailing 12-7 at the break despite enjoying the bulk of the possession in a half where they were reduced to 14 men for most of the second quarter after flanker Josh Murphy was red-carded for 20 minutes after striking Bulls hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Murphy pleaded to referee Mike Adamson that his reaction was due to Wessels grabbing him in the groin but TMO Hollie Davidson found the evidence inconclusive despite numerous camera angles.
The Bulls struck within a minute for their second try with veteran full-back Willie le Roux breaking down the left to score after exchanging passes with winger Sebastian de Klerk. Keagan Johannes landed the conversion from the left.
It was a big blow to a Connacht side who started solidly and were good value for their 7-0 lead after ten minutes. Josh Ioane, who had found a good touch inside the 22, pounced after several phases after the Bulls made a mess of the lineout and the Connacht out-half spotted a gap to score before adding the extras.
But Connacht’s propensity for conceding after scoring, which dogged them last year, surfaced again and the Pretoria side hit back in less than two minutes. Wingers Canan Moodie and de Klerk, dangerous throughout, combined down the left and scrum-half Paul de Wet supplied the finish.
Connacht got back on top but Murphy’s red card took the sting out of their attack. Bundee Aki went into a few scrums until Sean O’Brien replaced Murphy just before the break and aside from le Roux’s score, Connacht defended well and should have reduced the margin nine minutes before the interval with a penalty from 25 metres but pulled it across goal.
Johannes extended the lead with a drop goal while he had a penalty advantage three minutes after the restart but a Mack Hansen kick and chase led to a turnover which Ioane exploited with another good break, feeding Byron Ralston who in turn put scrum-half Caolin Blade in for a try at the end of a week when he was recalled to the Irish squad. Ioane’s excellent conversion from the left cut the gap to 15-14 after 46 minutes.
But the South Africans hit back and quick hands saw de Klerk put de Wet through for his second try after 54 minutes to lead 22-14 before Johannes extended it with a 60th minute penalty.
Replacement full-back Sean Naughton got Connacht back in the game when he chased a Shayne Bolton kick and scored when Johannes lost his footing.
Johannes hit back with a penalty to make it 28-19 but Connacht responded with Naughton landing a penalty from 45 metres to get them within a score and then a penalty to the right corner after a high hit on Naughton by le Roux led to a succession of drives before Hansen scored in the right corner in the final minute to cut the gap to a point.
Naughton stepped forward with a conversion from the right wing into a tricky wind and he got two goes at it when the Bulls broke early, his first effort missing the left post by inches and his second one not coming in enough and went a foot outside the right post.
Scorers: Connacht: Tries: J Ioane, C Blade, S Naughton, M Hansen. Cons: Ioane (2 from 3), S Naughton (0 from 1). Pens: Ioane (0 from 1), Naughton (1 from 1).
Bulls: Tries: P de Wet (2), W le Roux. Cons: K Johannes (2 from 3). Pens: Johannes (2 from 2). Drop goal: Johannes.
Connacht: Mack Hansen; Chay Mullins (Sean Naughton 55), Byron Ralston, Bundee Aki (Cathal Forde 60), Shayne Bolton; Josh Ioane, Caolin Blade (Matthew Devine 66); Peter Dooley (Jordan Duggan 52), Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham (Jack Aungier 58); Darragh Murray, David O’Connor (Joe Joyce 52); Josh Murphy (Sean O’Brien 39), Cian Prendergast (c) (Dylan Tierney-Martin 55), Sean Jansen.
Bulls: Willie le Roux; Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Jan Serfontein (Harold Vorster 66), Sebastian de Klerk; Keagan Johannes, Paul de Wet (Embrose Papier 75); Alu Tshakweni (Gerhard Steenekamp 60), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Johan Grobbelaar 60), Wilco Louw (Francois Klopper 55); Cobus Wiese, Reinhardt Ludwig (c); Nama Xaba, JJ Theron, Jeandre Rudolph.
Ref: M Adamson (Scotland).
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