Fond farewells at Sportsground, but Connacht fail URC test against Stormers

An emotional evening in front of the Clan Stand for the last time before it is demolished as well Connacht bidding farewell to nine players was the backdrop for a game that Pete Wilkins’ men just had to win before they head to Leinster in two weeks four points off a play-off place.

But their hopes of a place in the URC knockout stages and Champions Cup rugby next season are all but over after a disappointing display in front of a crowd of 4,889 at Dexcom Stadium.

Connacht led 7-3 at the end of a tight opening half where both sides enjoyed strong periods of possession but a combination of good defending and some poor handling ensured scores were at a premium.

It took 22 minutes before the opening score arrived when Manie Libbok tapped over a penalty in front of the posts after John Porch had fumbled a high kick and they coughed up the penalty a few phases later.

A good break from Tiernan O’Halloran, playing his final home game in his 238th appearance before his retirement after 15 years, almost yielded the opening try but when he subsequently tapped a penalty, the Stormers got back to prevent the score.

Angelo Davids had a try ruled out down the left after a forward pass by his full-back Warrick Gelant after a good catch and after winning a penalty from the resultant scrum, Connacht went to the right corner.

And while they didn’t score from it they managed to pen the South Africans and after a couple of surges, scrum-half Caolin Blade spotted a gap and squeezed over nine minutes from the break.

Jack Carty added the conversion from the left to extend the lead and they held it to the break after a superb defensive effort kept last year’s runners-up out after a penalty to the left corner was followed by several bursts.

The Stormers hit back eleven minutes after the restart when Libbok broke to set up Davids for a try which the out-half converted to lead 10-7.

Connacht hit back and but after going to the right corner with a penalty they butchered the opportunity with a dummy throw and the chance was lost.

But they got back in the game on the hour when a patient build-up after another penalty, this time to the left corner, yielded a try for replacement tighthead Jack Aungier just moments after coming on.

That edged Connacht 12-10 in front with Carty unable to convert but with the game hanging in the balance it was the Stormers who showed the greater composure and closed out the win.

Connacht sprung Argentine international Santiago Cordero for his first action since suffering an ACL injury in his first week in Galway last summer, with Clifden native O’Halloran given a great ovation as he went off.

But it was the Cape Town side who carved out the win. Libbok edged them back in front with a penalty from 40 metres after 68 minutes and he put four between them five minutes later from closer to the posts and it was enough for them in the end.

Scorers – Connacht: Tries: C Blade, J Aungier. Con: J Carty. Stormers: Try: A Davids. Con: M Libbok Pens: Libbok (3).

Connacht: T O’Halloran (S Cordero 62); J Porch, D Hawkshaw, B Aki, B Ralston; J Carty (C Forde 70), C Blade (C Reilly 70); P Dooley (J Duggan 64), D Heffernan (c) (D Tierney-Martin 70), F Bealham (J Aungier 57); J Joyce (Murray 69), D Murray (O Dowling 62); C Prendergast, S Hurley-Langton (J Butler 64), S Jansen (Butler 27-38).

Stormers: W Gelant; S Hartzenberg, D du Plessis (JL du Plessis 77), D Willemse, A Davids (S Feinberg-Mngomezulu 62); M Libbok, H Jantjies (S Ungerer 66); B Harris (K Blose 77), J Dweba (AH Venter 53), F Malherbe ((N Fouche ‘53); S Moerat (c), R van Heerden (A Smith 66), E Roos, BJ Dixon, H Dayimani (M Theunissen ‘62).

Referee: F Vedovelli (Italy).