Connacht face Italian away day after failing to pick up bonus point in Falcons defeat

A bonus point win would have ensured Connacht would have remained in Ireland all the way to the final in the Aviva Stadium in May but that never looked likely against a Newcastle Falcons side already out of the competition prior to the start of this one.

Indeed, Connacht looked set for a drubbing when they fell 21-0 down in the opening quarter as their woeful record in England continues with this being their 27th loss in 30 visits as their search for a first win since 2009 continues and they will now have to head to Benetton Rugby for their last 16 knockout game.

Connacht rallied after their dreadful start and hauled the gap back to 21-14 after a bizarre opening half.

A key factor was the strict way French referee Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy enforced the offside with the result that the team in possession almost inevitably were awarded a penalty or enjoyed an advantage before they scored.

And with Falcons dominating the opening quarter in terms of possession, they raced ahead with Pumas Matias Orlando and Mateo Carreras crossing along with experienced scrum-half Michael Young also scoring, with two of them coming when Josh Murphy was in the bin.

The penalty count rapidly swung in Connacht’s favour once they managed to keep the ball and build a few phases and they reduced the gap after 21 minutes when Bealham squeezed over with a penalty advantage after Falcons made a mess of collecting the restart after their third try.

The Irish international repeated the feat nine minutes from the break when he again drove over, with Conor Fitzgerald adding his second conversion.

They could have reduced the margin further but were pinged for crossing after going to the left corner with a penalty just before the break.

Falcons pushed the margin back out to 14 three minutes after the restart when they punished more poor tackling down the right which replacement scrum-half Josh Barton dashed through to score another converted try.

Connacht hit back and while Conor Oliver knocked on as he charged for the line after a lineout, they won a penalty in the scrum and this worked a few close drives before Bealham completed his hat-trick and Fitzgerald converted to make it 28-21 after 54 minutes.

The game became disrupted as both sides emptied their benches and but Connacht thought they were back on level terms when centre Cathal Forde broke but his pass to Caolin Blade was adjudged on review to be forward and the try scored by the replacement scrum-half under the posts after 70 minutes was scratched.

Falcons closed out the win three minutes from time when they stretched the Connacht defence out wide and centre Pete Lucock got over in the left corner and Josh Thomas added the extras.

A bonus point from a fourth try would have been enough to secure a home last 16 tie but while they went to the corner with a penalty, they were unable to retain possession and fell to their 27th loss in 30 visits to England as their search for a first win there since 2009 goes on after a very disappointing display which leaves them fighting an uphill battle to advance in this season’s Challenge Cup.

SCORERS

Newcastle Falcons: Tries: M Orlando, M Young, M Carreras, J Barton, P Lucock. Cons: T Schoeman (4), Thomas.

Connacht: Tries: F Bealham (3). Cons: Fitzgerald (3).

TEAMS

Newcastle Falcons: A Tait (A Radwan 60); B Stevenson, M Orlando, P Lucock, M Carreras; T Schoeman (J Thomas 67), M Young (J Barton 22); L Mulipola (A Brocklebank 55), J Blamire, T Davison (R Palframan 63); G Peterson (P Rubiola 37), S de Chaves; G Graham, P van de Walt (C Maddison 67), C Fearns (F Lockwood 54).

Connacht: M Hansen; A Byrne, B Ralston, C Forde, A Wootton (T Farrell 32); C Fitzgerald (T Daly 70), C Reilly (C Blade 62); D Buckley (J Duggan 62), S Delahunt (D Tierney-Martin 54), F Bealham (J Aungier 62); L Fiftia (D Murray 54), J Murphy; S Hurley-Langton (C Booth 62), C Oliver (Booth 7-17), J Butler.

Referee: Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy (France).