It has been a rewarding couple of weeks on in South Africa for Connacht who made it back-to-back tour wins with a well-judged 21-17 success against the Toyota Cheetahs in the Bloemfontein heat.
Andy Friend’s side overcame high altitude and hot conditions – water breaks were required midway through both halves – as they laid the foundations with first half tries from Tom Farrell and fit-again lock Gavin Thornbury, who grabbed his first score in Connacht colours. That gave them a 15-0 lead with Jack Carty kicking the other points.
However, the Cheetahs finished strongly before the break, with touchdowns from Malcolm Jaer and Joseph Dweba making it a five-point game. Although captain Shaun Venter went on to notch the hosts’ third try late on, two penalties from replacement David Horwitz got Connacht over the finish line as they stayed third in Conference A, four points behind Munster.
Skipper and man-of-the-match Jarrad Butler, Caolin Blade and Ultan Dillane all impressed as the westerners gained some revenge for last March’s 26-25 defeat to the Cheetahs at the same venue of Toyota Stadium. A late scrum penalty set up the match-winning score from out-half Niel Marais, who now plays his club rugby in Japan.
Giving his reaction after Saturday’s rematch, head coach Friend said: “It was a great win for us. It wasn’t the prettiest, we came over here with a goal to win two games and we’ve done that. Really proud of the boys in the way they held out there. We keep everyone on the edge of their seats, but we got the nine points (from the two tour fixtures) and we’re happy with that.”
Connacht had a couple of early setbacks with Carty kicking out on the full and their scrum leaking a penalty, before Farrell opened the scoring with an terrific burst from the 10-metre line. From Thornbury’s lineout tap-down, the centre burst through a couple of weak tackles and took off, showing impressive footwork to beat the covering Rhyno Smith and touch down.
Farrell’s third PRO14 try this season was converted by Carty who initiated a threatening attacking soon after, linking with Thornbury who passed out of a tackle for Blade to scamper through in the 22. The ball was recycled three metres out and just when it looked like the visitors would pull the trigger for try number two, the move broke down between Denis Buckley and Farrell with a knock-on.
Cheetahs wingers Darren Adonis and Smith both threatened towards the end of the first quarter, the former being hit with a crucial try-saving tackle by Niyi Adeolokun and the latter then nudged into touch by Matt Healy. Carty’s 21st-minute penalty took Connacht into double figures, rewarding Robin Copeland for his hard work in getting the decision at the breakdown.
They were over the whitewash six minutes later, Thornbury taking up possession at the back of an advancing maul and expertly spinning out of a tackle on the line to ground the ball. Carty’s attempted conversion faded away to the left of the posts, and the South Africans enjoyed their best spell on the half hour mark as they conjured up two quick-fire tries.
Pacy full-back Jaer scored the first with a swerving run from just inside the Connacht half, fending off Adeolokun along the way, while Dweba peeled off a lineout drive to crash over in the left corner past Cian Kelleher, who had replaced the injured Adeolokun, Neither try was converted, leaving Connacht to take a 15-10 lead into the second period.
It was strength-sapping stuff in the third quarter as the action quickly swung between both halves, a Carty tackle forcing a knock-on from big lock JP du Preez before Kyle Godwin’s break up towards the 22 had Connacht chasing their third try.
Butler’s energy and accuracy around the pitch set the tone for his side, his presence at a breakdown leading to Daniel Maartens coughing up a penalty for side-entry and Horwitz split the posts with 57 minutes gone.
The Australian landed a second central penalty in the 64th minute after Shane Delahunt’s turnover penalty, a ground-gaining maul and Dweba being singled out for not releasing following a tackle. That opened up a vital 11-point gap.
All of those points were needed down the final stretch as the Cheetahs clawed their way back, Tiernan O’Halloran’s grounded pass in attack leading to a brilliant breakaway and scrum half Venter’s well-taken seven-pointer.
It was a tense and frantic finish as the home side continued to up the tempo and test out a tiring Connacht defence, yet Butler’s breakdown nous secured turnover ball in the form of a 78th minute scrum. With Cheetahs replacement Charles Marais then whistled up for not rolling away, the men in green retained possession from the resulting lineout to see out another momentum-building victory.
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