Connacht Bring Home Losing Bonus In Three-Try Comeback

Connacht fell to a narrow 26-22 defeat to Racing 92 in an exciting Heineken Champions Cup opener in Paris this afternoon.

In a brilliant exhibition of attacking rugby, the westerners scored three tries from Matt Healy, Alex Wootton and Conor Oliver as they fought back from 19-3 and 26-8 down.

Racing took the spoils thanks to four scores during the first 50 minutes, but Connacht claimed a deserved bonus point of their own and made it a nervy finish for last season’s runners-up.

Connacht started with authority at the Paris La Defense Arena, Dave Heffernan and the excellent Ultan Dillane making piercing early carries. Yet, Racing’s defence held firm.

The French powerhouses grew into the game and were first on the scoreboard when prop Georges-Henri Colombe burst over from close range in the fifth minute.

Following Maxime Machenaud’s conversion, Connacht reacted well to the try and had their own points soon after. Heffernan’s barrelling run led to a three-pointer from Jack Carty.

With the visitors’ pack carrying hard and gaining yards, Racing were not having it all their own but they were efficient with all of their attacking opportunities, especially when in transition.

A typically classy 16th-minute move saw Virimi Vakatawa, the eventual Heineken star-of-the-match, make a burst and feed Kurtley Beale to run in a converted try and stretch the lead to 14-3.

Another try followed early in the second quarter, winger Donovan Taofifénua acrobatically flying over for a memorable score in the left corner. The conversion fell wide, leaving 16 points between the sides.

Connacht, though, never lost their composure and kept the attacking intensity up. A series of lineouts and hard carries – with Dillane especially prominent – brought them close on several occasions.

Indeed, they had a deserved try on the stroke of half-time. After Tom Daly had made a key carry, Carty’s cracking cross-field kick found Healy who caught it perfectly in midair and held his balance to touch down.

Carty was unable to convert at 19-8, and Racing responded with a strong start to the second half. Former All Black Dominic Bird was the beneficiary of a well-executed maul and crossed for a converted bonus point try.

Nonetheless, Connacht continued to be game on both sides of the ball, and Wootton swooped on the hour mark to intercept a pass in his own 22 and go almost the length of the pitch for a try converted by Daly.

With the wind in their sails, Paul Boyle and Dillane were both inspired in the ball-carrying stakes as Andy Friend’s men kept probing and pushing for a score.

With five minutes remaining, they had the try their pressure merited when replacement flanker Oliver powered his way over from close range.

The conversion was good from Daly and, suddenly, the never-say-die westerners were only four points behind with as many minutes left on the lock.

They almost snatched a famous victory when the returning Tiernan O’Halloran kicked through in the dying moments, but the ball beat everyone and went dead, much to Racing’s relief.

Giving his reaction afterwards, Connacht boss Friend said: “We knew it was going to be tough and we gave ourselves a really good opportunity to win it, and we didn’t, so there is an element of frustration.

“Let’s call it as it was, their set piece and maul was dominant. I think we sorted it out in the second half. We nullified it much better, which was good.

“Despite the lineout, which is an area we have to look at, I thought to stay in the game and right up to the end have possession, shows the amount of character and courage in this side.

“I’m proud of the performance. We worked so hard to come back and then just couldn’t nail it at the end. The momentum had definitely swung our way, so to get that penalty at the end, and to be in their 22, I could envisage we were going to win that game of football, but we didn’t.

“They missed opportunities as well, so in the end the result is probably a fair reflection of it, but either team could have won.”