Good afternoon and welcome to The42‘s live minute-by-minute coverage of Wasps v Connacht in the European Champions Cup.
Niall Kelly here with you for the next few hours, and I’ll be joined by Murray Kinsella who is at the Ricoh Arena for this afternoon’s Pool 2 clash.
Pat Lam’s side sit top of Pool 2 with two wins from two. Can they take another big step towards the knockout rounds in Coventry this afternoon?
Kick off is at 1pm.
TEAM NEWS: Here’s a reminder of how Connacht will line out.
Matt Healy was added to the replacements on Saturday morning after Peter Robb pulled up with a hip injury.
Connacht:
15. Tiernan O’Halloran
14. Niyi Adeolokun
13. Stacey Ili
12. Bundee Aki
11. Cian Kelleher
10. Jack Carty
9. Kieran Marmion
1. Denis Buckley
2. Tom McCartney
3. Conor Carey
4. Ultan Dillane
5. Quinn Roux
6. Nepia Fox-Matamua
7. Jake Heenan
8. John Muldoon (captain)
Replacements:
16. Dave Heffernan
17. JP Cooney
18. Finlay Bealham
19. Sean O’Brien
20. Eoin McKeon
21. Caolin Blade
22. Rory Parata
23. Matt Healy
TEAM NEWS: And here’s how Wasps will line out, including some familiar faces in Marty Moore and Jimmy Gopperth, as well as a first start for Kurtley Beale.
Wasps:
15. Rob Miller
14. Christian Wade
13. Alapati Leiua
12. Kurtley Beale
11. Josh Bassett
10. Jimmy Gopperth
9. Dan Robson
1. Matt Mullan
2. Tommy Taylor
3. Marty Moore
4. Joe Launchbury (captain)
5. Kearnan Myall
6. Ashley Johnson
7. Thomas Young
8. Nathan Hughes
Replacements
16. Alex Rieder
17. Tom Bristow
18. Jake Cooper-Woolley
19. James Gaskell
20. Guy Thompson
21. Joe Simpson
22. Brendan Macken
23. Frank Halai
While Tadhg Furlong has been making hay in recent months, Marty Moore has become one of the forgotten men of Irish rugby. What better opportunity for him to put himself back in the shop window than with a huge performance in the Wasps’ front row today?
Read Sean Farrell’s pre-match preview here >
The trouble is that 2017 will see Connacht lose two of the men who created that culture. Dave Ellis will finish up his duties as the western province’s skills coach just a few hours before he rings in the New Year. Lam, as you couldn’t possibly have escaped this week, will take over as head coach in Bristol next summer.
The Samoan will leave big gilet to fill having massively overshot expectations last season when everything came together perfectly to deliver a trophy in jaw-dropping style. And yet, just as players have slipped in and out of the squad with limited disruption to the overall direction of the team, Lam has built an environment where he is now replaceable.
The legacy he leaves behind is indelible. 2016 won’t be just a wistful memory, it will live on fueling belief and driving standards long on the Atlantic coast long after Lam has re-settled to life in England and someone else is forging a new gameplan.
KICK OFF: Jimmy Gopperth gets us underway and Connacht secure early possession.
Good hands from Connacht as they try to run the ball out from the back. They keep possession secure and eventually win the first breakdown penalty for Wasps not rolling away.
Carty kicks to touch.
The lineout is lost forward and so Wasps will have the put in to the game’s first scrum — and it’s a HUGE one from the Connacht front row who have Wasps rattled. Marmion pounces to secure possession at the back of the scrum and Connacht will have a chance to build.
Connacht have numbers out wide on the right but Josh Bassett reads Ili’s pass for Heenan and steps up to make the interception. If that had gone to hand, it would have been a certain Connacht try.
BREAK! Here come Wasps as Nathan Hughes picks off the base of a ruck and finds the yard of space he needs between Connacht defenders. He bursts clear and makes up 40 yards, barrelling through O’Halloran with a big hand off. He tries the offload for the try but Connacht recover.
TRY WASPS! Wasps 7-0 Connacht (Beale, 7)
How about that for an introduction on your debut? Just seven minutes gone and Kurtley Beale already has his first Wasps try. The home side have good territory inside the Connacht 22, and the quick ball off the back of the ruck allows Beale to spin out of a weak tackle by Ili and reach over the line to touch down.
Gopperth converts.
And now Ili is down injured. It looks to be his ankle — there were a lot of bodies flying as he tried to get involved in that last ruck.
Tiernan O’Halloran tries a chip and chase, and gets a penalty out of it for a Wasps offside during the chase. Connacht go to the corner again, but the lineout hasn’t really been firing so far today, and this is another lost as Launchbury gets his hand in and Moore pounces on the loose ball.
MISSED! Another Connacht penalty here as Marmion picks the ball and makes half a dozen yards with the sniping run. Myall fails to release the scrum half in the tackle and Carty will take his shot at the posts this time.
It’s a bad miss though, with Carty only a couple of yards to the left of the posts. Big let-off for Wasps.
YELLOW CARD! Carty pops the ball back to Adeolokun on his inside shoulder and as the winger steps back inside, Kurtley Beale instinctively throws out an arm and catches him high around the neck.
Referee Alexandre Ruiz refers it to the TMO and between them, they decide that it’s worthy of a yellow for Beale. That seems harsh but World Rugby’s directive is obviously very much on the minds of the officials.
Wasps 7-3 Connacht (Carty pen, 18)
This time Carty makes no mistake, and it will be interesting to see how Connacht make their man advantage count over the next 10 minutes.
Wasps are sailing a bit close to the wind here and, as Connacht secure the restart, they give away another penalty for not rolling away at the breakdown. Joe Launchbury is taken aside for a talking-to, and the hosts will have to be on their best behaviour for a while.
The Connacht lineout is all over the shop at the moment and Tom McCartney has a lot to answer for. They lose a third one on their own throw as McCartney flings the ball over everybody and gets a bit of a break when it hits referee Ruiz and play is stopped.
Wasps 10-3 Connacht (Gopperth pen, 23)
Buckley is pinged for offside and Gopperth slides the penalty through to keep Wasps’ score ticking over.
TRY! Wasps 10-10 (Marmion, 24)
If Connacht’s lineout has been a disaster, their scrum has been superb and it leads to their breakthrough try. Again, they have the Wasps pack marching backwards, and John Muldoon picks from his feet and drives on.
Ashley Johnson is caught just out of position as he tries to release himself from the back row of the scrum and as Muldoon pops the offload to Marmion, Johnson can’t make the tackle.
Marmion skates in and Carty adds the extras. All square.
Another big break by Marmion who finds a gap and chews up the space in midfield. He’s the one keeping Connacht on the front foot here.
Uh oh. Bundee Aki looks to be in big trouble with injury. Play continues…
The Connacht medics are on tending to Aki who looks like he jarred his knee in the tackle. He’s ok to continue — for now anyway.
Wasps’ scrum is getting a bit panicky now and, inside their own 22, they engage too quickly and give Connacht a free kick. Connacht opt for another scrum which, given the situation, is a smart move.
Most of Connacht’s good play is coming courtesy of Kieran Marmion, who is keeping the Wasps’ defence guessing every time he has the ball in hand. Wasps do well to repel the attacks but Connacht get half a chance when the ball is knocked backwards and the field opens up in front of Jake Heenan. He’s stripped in possession though and Waps are able to clear.
Wasps 13-10 Connacht (Gopperth pen, 36)
Connacht are pinged for going in off their feet at the breakdown and it leaves Gopperth with a very kickable penalty. No mistake.
Connacht sub: Rory Parata is on for Stacey Ili. Not his finest half in green.
HALF TIME: Wasps 13-10 Connacht
SECOND HALF: We’re back.
Sloppy from Connacht as the move the ball from left to right, and Josh Bassett is able to step into the line and intercept easily. Fortunately for Connacht, he’s brought down quickly.
TRY! Wasps 20-10 Connacht (Hughes, 44)
Wasps secure the lineout and Connacht’s lineout maul disintegrates, allowing Ashley Johnson all the space in the world. He feeds Nathan Hughes and the big number eight shows all of his power to crash over the line. There’s no stopping that.
Gopperth converts and Connacht are in a spot of bother now.
TRY! Wasps 20-17 Connacht (Parata, 46)
What a perfect response! It looks like Gopperth who tries the high looping pass in midfield but it’s not high enough and Rory Parata is able not only to block it, but also to gather before it hits the ground, and tear away to touch down under the posts.
Carty convertas and Connacht are back within three. Magic.
Welcome back Matt Healy! He has Beale under serious pressure as he chases as kick down the left touchline, and then does well to stay on his feet and keep the pressure on.
Healy again! Super break but he slips just as he tries to offload to Cian Kelleher and the referee rules it a knock on.
Connacht sub: Caolin Blade is on for the limping Kelleher. It looks like he might slot in at fullback.
Connacht win the penalty and go for the corner. Lineout secured…
That’s unreal work by Joe Launchbury at the breakdown to win a crucial turnover with Connacht knocking on the door. Stayed on his feet, was strong enough to keep Ultan Dillane off his back, and ripped possession.
Wasps clear.
Brilliant again by Launchbury. Adeolokun is exposed, and the Wasps captain is first in, forcing Adeolokun to hold on and concede the penalty. It was a sure-fire turnover either way.
Magic offload from Parata to find Adeolokun outside him. Connacht win the penalty for a Wasps offside and they’re going for the posts…
MISSED! There’s no problem with the length of Carty’s kick but it just squeaks by the right upright. Wasps still lead by three.
TRY! Wasps 27-17 Connacht (Launchbury, 62)
Connacht had their chances without ever taking full advantage, and Wasps make them pay with a third try.
Gopperth finds Launchbury and Connacht’s defence can’t get across quickly enough.
Gopperth converts – and Connacht are out of bonus point territory now.
Wasps trying to turn the screw here and they go for the corner with a penalty. This has been tight for long stretches but another try would give them the bonus point while also denying Connacht — and that could be a huge momentum swing in Pool 2 ahead of next week’s clash in the Sportsground.
Wasps back in the Connacht 22 and knocking on the door. They’ve a penalty advantage coming too…
Wasps kick the penalty to the corner and win the lineout. They want their bonus point…
TRY! Wasps 32-17 Connacht (Bassett, 72)
And there it is – great hands by Wasps as they stretch Connacht and Bassett dives over in the corner.
It’s referred to the TMO for a possible obstruction in the build up, and for a possible forward pass, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
Wasps have their bonus point.
Back into the corner for Wasps as they go looking for number five. Three minutes to play.
High-ish tackle by James Gaskell — not entirely dissimilar to the one which saw Beale yellow carded earlier — but this one is just a Connacht penalty.
Connacht drive towards the 22 with an advantage coming to them for Tommy Taylor going in off his feet. This will be the last possession…
FULL TIME: Wasps 32-17 Connacht
So that’s it from the Ricoh Arena as Wasps take control of Pool 2 with a bonus-point win.
There were chances there for Connacht while the game was still up for grabs, but on a couple of occasions, their execution just let them down slightly.
Still, it sets us up for a Christmas cracker in the Sportsground next Saturday night.
We’ll have lots more reaction and analysis across the course of the afternoon and evening, courtesy of Murray Kinsella at the Ricoh Arena, so stay with us.
Thanks for reading.
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