THE LAST TRAIN back east from Galway was due to leave five minutes after kick-off in the Sportsground.
Those on board will have missed the eruption as Dave McSharry took a killer line from Dan Parks’ pass to run in under the posts of the English champions.
The centre would inspire another surging roar from the terraces 15 minutes later too.
He hit, and then drove Jordan Turner Hall to the turf, forcing a turnover on the Connacht 22 and from there; a rapier-like break from Kieran Marmion brought the western province all the way upfield.
Their reward could have been greater, but McSharry could be pleased that he had inspired another three points to the board.
It was a thrilling opening half hour. Marmion proved a constant threat off the base of the ruck, but 10 minutes before the break it was his opposite number who began to spot the gaps and slide through.
Marmion called it, from the openside of the scrum he waved frantically so that a teammate might offer Fetu’u Vainikolo a helping hand on the blindside. But at this level, you must do it yourself, Danny Care picked up from Nick Easter at the base, dummied for Tom Williams and cruised over unopposed.
Turning point
There was no argument with the head coach post match.
“I think the turning point was that 10 minutes before half time when we were leading 19-9 and they got 15 unanswered points,” said Eric Elwood.
By the time Care sneaked his second score, the last dire meeting between the sides had become a distant memory. 19-24 at half time, Connacht were going toe-to-toe with a European giant and keeping their head above water. This, agreed both coaches, was how rugby should be played.
Two big carries from Mike McCarthy, showing an incredible turn of pace, early in the second half asserted the home side’s intent. The sky had turned black and Connacht were back within a point, but they had a stiff breeze against them and they rarely tested its resolve, preferring to run the ball from half-way.
Elwood expressed only the slightest hint of annoyance at this.
“We had a plan that we a wanted to attack from deep. We persist,” said the outgoing coach.
“Yeah, we could have probably put in a couple of early kicks (in the second half) to relieve the pressure, but we tried to stay strong to what we were doing and we wanted to challenge them because there’s no point kicking the ball to a team like Harlequins because you’re only inviting them onto you again.”
The difference, ultimately, was class. For all the fire and fury Connacht offered, ‘Quins had an icy wall. Led by the seemingly omnipresent Easter, they kept their heads and mixed up their use of possession. Crucially-so in the third quarter, patiently going from side to side through their backs, forcing the grey shirts to make the energy-sapping tackles.
Elwood pointed to a half-time possession statistic of 65-35 in the visitors’ favour – a staggering and unsustainable figure.
There was a steady confidence too from Ben Botica. The feeling was that a Connacht win would require a very shaky ‘Quins 10, but the Kiwi fly-half was unerring from the tee. Nick Evans most certainly was not missed by Conor O’Shea tonight.
It all amounted to a steady finish as the white shirts held off the grey for a 22-30 win. With a double-header to come against Zebre, the Harlequins train will keep on rolling. And, in all likelihood, O’Shea will be bringing his team back to Ireland before this competition is over.
