Edinburgh25
Connacht 22
CONNACHT’S WINNING START to the URC campaign came to a dramatic end on a bitterly cold night in the Scottish capital after a stunning late drop-goal from Irishman Ben Healy in the final seconds.
Edinburgh opened the scoring just six minutes in with a fine run and finish by wing Wes Goosen, while Connacht dominated possession but couldn’t convert it into points. They finally moved the scoreboard with just five minutes of the first half remaining, with a Jack Carty penalty.
However eight minutes into the second half Edinburgh were 14-3 up when Blair Kinghorn launched Duhan van der Merwe down the left touchline and the Scotland wing found replacement scrum-half Ben Vellacott who sprinted the last 25 metres to the posts, Healy converting.
Connacht were back in the game within minutes when full-back Tiernan O’Halloran finished off a flowing attack by diving over at the post, converted by Carty, to cut the deficit back to four, and the hosts were reduced to 14 men when prop Pierre Schoeman was yellow-carded for a head-on-head tackle.
Healy slotted a penalty, but Connacht should have been level on the hour when lock Joe Joyce made an instant impact off the bench by diving over for Connacht’s second try, but Carty kicked the conversion wide.
Connacht’s play lost its focus at a crucial time. When Edinburgh were awarded a penalty inside the Connacht 22 with just 13 minutes remaining, Vellacott caught Connacht napping with a quick tap to send Mark Bennett diving over for the hosts’ third score. Healy missed the conversion, leaving a seven-point deficit for Connacht to attack.
And attack it they did, with replacement scrum-half Colm Reilly making a terrific line-break deep into the home half, which provided the territory for a concerted period of attack eventually finished by back row Cian Prendergast. JJ Hanrahan brought the scores level with three minutes left on the clock.
However, Edinburgh’s scrum forced late pressure on Connacht and their lineout teed up the opportunity for Healy to slot a drop-goal and secure victory with the last act of the game.
Scorers
- Edinburgh: Tries – Goosen, Vellacott, Bennett; Pen – Healy; Cons – Healy 2; DG – Healy.
- Connacht: Tries – O’Halloran, Joyce, Prendergast; Pen – Carty; Con – Carty, Hanrahan.
Edinburgh
B Kinghorn; W Goosen, M Bennett, J Lang, D van der Merwe; B Healy, C Shiel; P Schoeman, E Ashman, J Sebastian; G Young, G Gilchrist; T Dodd, C Boyle, Mata.
- Subs: B Vellacott for Shiel (45), Venter for Boyle (53), D Cherry for Ashman, A Williams for Sebstian, M Sykes for Young, (all 60), C Dean for Bennett, B Muncaster for Dodd, (both 72).
Connacht
T O’Halloran; J Porch, B Ralston, T Daly, A Smith; J Carty, C Blade; P Dooley, T McElroy, J Aungier; N Murray, D Murray; C Prendergast, C Oliver, S O’Brien.
- Subs: D Hawkshaw for Porch (42), S Illo for Aungier (52), J Joyce for N Murray (56), J Duggan for Dooley (56), C Reilly for Blade, JJ Hanrahan for O’Halloran, J Butler for Oliver, (all 61).
Attendance: 6,717.