Friend Praises ‘Gutsy Performance’ As 14-Man Connacht Prevail In Port Elizabeth

Connacht shook off the determined challenge of the Isuzu Southern Kings in the second half, registering a hard-earned bonus point after struggling initially in the aftermath of Peter Robb’s 15th-minute red card.

Robb’s early dismissal threatened to derail an ideal opening from the westerners who quickly went about their business in the Port Elizabeth sun. Colby Fainga’a’s breakaway try was followed up by a well-taken fifth-minute score from Tiernan O’Halloran.

Capitalising on Robb’s red and a subsequent yellow card for Kyle Godwin, the Kings levelled at 14-all thanks to successive tries from Stefan Ungerer and Erich Cronjé, but a late Jack Carty penalty edged Connacht back in front for half-time.

Ireland international Carty went on to produce a man-of-the-match performance, finishing off a 46th-minute try and having a growing influence on the game. Despite Cronjé completing his brace, Connacht’s scrum earned a clinching penalty try for a 29-29 final scoreline.

Giving his reaction to the province’s first away win since early November, head coach Andy Friend said: “Really proud of the boys there. I thought we started the game really well, we got a red card into a yellow card. In the heat, and all of a sudden the pressure’s on us.

“But I thought we dug in really hard there and I thought the last 40 minutes, the game control and the game management was really outstanding. So a hard-fought and a well-deserved win.

“I can sorta see the red card, that’s what is happening at the moment. If there’s anything up around the neck or head, they’re taking a pretty firm stance on that. We then panicked a little bit and opened up another opportunity for them with probably a silly penalty which then led to a yellow card.

“14-0 and all the momentum’s going the Kings’ way, so to be able to stem that and then get the penalty at the end (of the first half), get the calmness back in the players. And I thought that last 40, with our 14 men on the field and our reserves coming on and doing a great job there, it was a really gutsy performance.

“Jarrad (Butler) had a brilliant skipper’s knock there, Colby wasn’t too far behind him. Jack Carty, that game management in the second half was outstanding. I thought Tiernan, at the back of the park, was very good too.

“But then you bring young Conor Kenny on, and scrum after scrum after scrum, he just kept the pressure on them. I thought he was brilliant and it’s great to have a young man like that coming through the ranks.”

Smarting from last week’s 41-14 defeat to Edinburgh, Connacht got off to a flying start when a midfield pass went astray off Ungerer, and flanker Fainga’a gobbled it up for a 55-metre run in under the posts, with less than a minute on the clock.

Kings scrum half Ungerer was sold a dummy for Connacht’s second converted score, O’Halloran accelerating through on an excellent line and beating the cover after some nice interplay between Carty and Godwin on the edge of the hosts’ 22.

The complexion of the game changed on the quarter hour mark, though, with Robb’s dismissal. Brought on for shoulder injury victim Matt Healy, he was sent off by referee JD Cwengile for ‘making direct contact’ with his forearm into the neck of the defending Howard Mnisi.

It was a harsh call as replays showed the initial contact appeared to be on the Kings centre’s chest. Following a stop-start spell, the South Africans built some ominous momentum and Connacht lost centre Godwin to the sin-bin for an infringement close to their own try-line.

Ungerer used a subsequent scrum to skip over from a few metres out. Siya Masuku converted and also added the extras to Cronjé’s try three minutes later, the winger released in a strike move off a lineout to dart in between Carty and Fainga’a and straight in under the posts.

However, a well-struck Carty penalty from the right steadied the ship for Connacht, giving them a 17-14 lead just before the interval. The Athlone man increased his influence early on the resumption with some clever tactical kicking and that timely third try.

With Tom Daly and Ultan Dillane keeping an attack going inside the Kings 22, an advantage for a knock-on allowed Blade and Carty to attack the short side and the out-half, aided by John Porch’s presence on his inside, got over past Ungerer in the right corner.

Connacht’s territorial dominance was briefly broken up by Cronjé’s second try, approaching the hour mark. Armed with a penalty advantage, Masuku wriggled up close to the visitors’ line before replacement scrum half Theo Maree fired out a skip pass to put Cronjé over by the left corner flag.

There were two further yellow cards, one for Kings replacement Ruan Lerm and a last-minute one for Connacht’s Daly which had little bearing. Following Lerm’s departure, Connacht held their dominance at a series of close-in scrums, forcing a 69th-minute penalty try with Dave Heffernan and Kenny, in particular, earning the plaudits.

Connacht now have the guts of three weeks to plot the downfall of the Scarlets, their next opponents at the Sportsground on Friday, March 20. Only two points separate the teams in the Conference B table, the Llanelli outfit lying third overall with Friend’s side chasing them down.