Challenge Cup: Connacht 75 Montauban 14
Connacht’s investment in young players is paying dividends for the province, seeing them march on to the Challenge Cup knockout stages.
Head coach Stuart Lancaster said confidence is growing with a “very good group of young players coming through” after their 75-14 demolition of Montauban in their final pool game on Saturday.
Youngsters Billy Bohan, Harry West, Sean Walsh and Seán Naughton all played their part in the 11-try victory at the Dexcom Stadium to ensure Connacht continue their fight in Europe.
“I was looking at the age of the backline that finished. It must have been an average age of around 22/23 years old, which I think for the club is hugely exciting,” said Lancaster.
“A lot of lessons were learned in Montpellier, and I thought we played some really good rugby for 65 minutes. Overall, we’ve achieved our objective. We’ve got a home last 16 (draw), and we’re in a fight to get to (the final in) Bilbao.”
Cian Prendergast scores Connacht’s second try. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Connacht now turn their attention to Saturday’s URC game at home to Leinster for which the new stand at the Dexcom will be officially opened.
“It is a game changer,” Lancaster said of the stand opening, adding he’s counting on a strong home support next weekend. “The stakes here are high.”
Despite what Lancaster described as their “rocky road”, Connacht sealed their place in the Champions Cup last 16, finishing third in Pool 1 with 13 points, behind Montpellier (20) and Zebre (14).
Needing a win on Saturday against Montauban on Saturday to secure qualification, the westerners delivered in spades. They were on the scoreboard within eight minutes when Paul Boyle broke through to touch down.
Their second came after a Montauban penalty was kicked to touch, scrumhalf Matthew Devine finding captain Cian Prendergast, who barged through just shy of the 20-minute mark.
Connacht’s Matthew Devine scores a try. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Montauban’s pack exerted some control, and when centre Simon Renda broke into the 22, outhalf Jerome Bosviel delivered the perfect cross-field kick for fullback Jean Seux who stepped inside to score.
But Sam Gilbert hit back, added Connacht’s third try after Josh Murphy broke the line. If things had already been looking bleak for the French side it got remarkable worse when replacement hooker Ru-Hann Greyling was shown a 20-minute red card on 28 minutes. Gade Asaeli followed him to the touchline a minute later on a yellow card, his offside interference five-meters out drawing a Connacht penalty try for 28-7.
The complexion of the game changed dramatically from there, Harry West crossing the whitewash two minutes later, and when Prendergast delivered to Sam Illo, the hosts had their sixth try of the evening.
And the tries kept coming thereafter. Shane’s Jennings break down the right wing provided Devine with his chance to make his mark on the board on 35 minutes before Boyle touched down for his second of the evening on the stroke of half-time for 56-7.
The game over as a contest before a phase had been played in the second half, Sean Jansen and Shane Jennings added tries after the restart. Paul Vallee offered Montauban’s only reply inside the final 10 minutes but it was soon cancelled out by replacement Dylan Tierney-Martin, who crashed over in the final play of the game for Connacht.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 7 mins: Boyle try, Gilbert con 7-0; 19: Prendergast try, Gilbert con 14-0; 21: Seux try, Bosviel con 14-7; 25: Gilbert try, con 21-7; 29: Penalty try 28-7; 31: West try, Gilbert con 35-7; 34: Prendergast try, Gilbert con 42-7; 35: Devine try, Gilbert con 49-7; 40: Boyle try, Gilbert con 56-7; Half-time 56-7; 44: Jansen try 61-7; 65: Jennings try, Naughton con 68-7; 73: Vallee try, Fortunel con 68-14; 80: Tierney-Martin try, Naughton con 75-14
CONNACHT: S Gilbert; S Jennings, H West, C Forde, F Treacy; J Carty, M Devine; B Bohan, D Heffernan, S Illo; D Murray, J Murphy; C Prendergast (capt), P Boyle, S Jansen.
Replacements: D Tierney-Martin for Heffernan (23 mins), S O’Brien for Prendergast, S Walsh for Gilbert (both ht), D Buckley for Bohan, J Aungier for Illo, J Joyce for Murphy (all 45), B Murphy for Devine, S Naughton for Carty (51).
Yellow card: Aungier (73 mins).
MONTAUBAN: J Seux; G Asaeli, S Renda, M Mathy, P Vallee; J Bosviel, H Zabalza; L Seyrolle, M da Costa, S Mafileo; Ct Bitz L Bean; F Quercy (capt), T Uanivi, N Ma’afu.
Replacements: R Greyling for da Costa (9 mins), L Aouf for Asaeli (41), T Fortunel for Bosviel (45), N Kanika for Bean, K Wilkins for Ma’afu (both 47), M Castel for Zabalza, F Pomponio for Mafileo (both 51), G Popoali’i for Mathy (52).
20-min red card: Greyling (28 mins).
Yellow card: Asaeli (29 mins), Pomponio (64).
Referee: B Connor (WAL)