Up next for Connacht in the midst of a busy Christmas period is the arrival of French side Bordeaux-Begles to the Sportsground in the Champions Cup.
This game will see World Player of the Year nominee, Bundee Aki back in the Connacht fold after his exploits at the Rugby World Cup. The centre will add ballast and game-changing ability to a backline which has excited throughout the URC campaign.
His return could not be more timely, as the Champions Cup is a competition which Connacht have traditionally struggled in. They have, however, had some famous days in the Sportsground against much more successful clubs, so they will be hoping they can repeat that dose again on Friday.
Their opposition comes in the form of a side which sits 7th in the Top 14 league in France. Connacht also sit slap bang in the middle of their domestic competition's table, the URC, and will aspire to use home advantage to tip the scales in their favour. Bordeaux-Begles are a team stacked with pedigree, however, featuring a host of internationals, some of which include Mathieu Jalibert, Yoram Moefana, the excellent winger Damian Penaud, and the man mountain from Tonga, Ben Tameifuna.
Despite being away from home, due to the quality in their ranks, the French side should be favourites for this one, and Connacht will have to be on top of their game to topple them.
The game kicks off on Friday, December 8 at 8pm. It will be shown live on TNT Sports 2.
There was a sense of cruel inevitability about the way Ciaran Frawley danced through the Connacht cover on Saturday night. There had been a burgeoning hope all evening, as through the stop start nature of the game the Clan Terrace found its voice, rising to a crescendo when Diarmuid Kilgallen dotted down Connacht's final runaway try of the game.
In the closing moments, and with the home team holding on to the ball assuredly, there seemed no conceivable way that Leinster could yet again break Connacht hearts. And yet, mere seconds later, Leinster's final foray into Connacht's 22 yielded a killer blow to silence a dejected Sportsground.
It was less a sense of shock that permeated the following exodus, Connacht have relieved themselves of deserving such a reaction, the feeling was instead of true and lingering disappointment, following a game which should have been a crowning moment in their season.
This was a match that Connacht left behind, but they started the game in excellent fashion, commencing their trio of electric tries with some excellent interplay between Hansen and centre Ralston, before sub David Hawkshaw touched down in the corner. The home side soon capitalised on this try by adding a penalty kick to leave the scores at 8-0, with Cathal Forde unlucky to receive a yellow card prior to Hanrahan's three points. The half would finish 8-7 however, after Charlie Ngatai, who was hugely influential throughout, scored a try off a signature Leinster tap and go.
The second period brought about a more lively encounter between the two sides. Following a second yellow card for Connacht, this time for prop Peter Dooley, Leinster proceeded to score two tries through Jason Jenkins and Ronan Kelleher. This was as a result of growing pressure from Leinster's pack, bolstered by set-piece accuracy which was lacking from Connacht all day. Connacht would counter with scores of the highest quality from Blade and Kilgallen, both converted by Hanrahan, leaving the score at 22-19. The game would finish at 22-24, however, after a flowing move sent the few travelling supporters into ecstasy.
Connacht will review the clash and take some positives, in spite of the result. Their backline looked imperious at times, with Caolin Blade running the show, and Mack Hansen again displaying why he is the best playmaking winger in Irish rugby at the moment. JJ Hanrahan also seems to be a good fit for the running style of rugby Pete Wilkins is attempting to employ. Connacht's pack put in a dogged display also, on a day which saw the home side make 210 tackles to Leinster's 107.
On the flip side, which is considerable, the lineout malfunctioned on more than one occasion throughout the game. It is also worth noting that this was far from Leinster's strongest side, and they were able to exert control over the tie for far longer than any opposing coach would like to see.
As things stand, Connacht are now 8th in the URC table. They have some huge games upcoming in the Christmas period, and victories are a must to bolster their season after two defeats on the bounce.
