New Year tests do not come much bigger for Connacht than Sunday’s URC fixture with eight-time champions Leinster.
The second of the local derbies to take place over the festive season, the two sides will meet in the RDS (7.35pm ).
Leinster are currently enjoying a 12-match winning run in all competitions after escaping from Thomond Park with a one-point win, 20-19, against Munster on Monday. Their record speaks for itself - they are the only unbeaten team in the URC this season. Hence the challenge for Connacht in Dublin is immense, and there would be few who would bet against Leo Cullen’s outfit making it 13.
However, Connacht will take heart from their previous meeting in the Sportsground this season when Leinster escaped with a 10-0 victory, and with a growing edge to Connacht’s pack this season, it will be a litmus test for the forwards.
Connacht know they will have to match Leinster physically to have any chance of coming close, let alone springing a surprise, and they will need to be accurate and spot on in all facets of their game. The last occasion the two met in Dublin, the eight-times URC champions dished out a 56-20 drubbing - something the team will surely remember when they run out onto the RDS pitch.
Leinster are stacked with internationals, but that is something Connacht players usually relish, particularly if they can gain some parity up front to deliver ball to their backs. They will also remember their last meeting when Connacht had enough territory, yet failed to score. That result hurt, and this time round Friend’s side will have to execute better and make possession count if they are to come closer to taking Leinster’s scalp.
Coming after their pre-Christmas loss to 20-22 loss to Ulster, Connacht will certainly be better primed. On that occasion the points and the plaudits went to the visitors, who were fully deserving of their win.
Ulster, on the back of three successive defeats, were desperate for a win, while Connacht, with three victories on the trot - two of which were in the Challenge Cup - similarly needed a win.
In 11th place with just 19 points, victory was imperative to ensure they maintained their upward trajectory towards the top eight. Alas, despite having won two of their last three games at home, (albeit in the Aviva ), they could not manage a third.
Dan McFarland’s team came primed, and delivered. A fast and furious start ensured the visitors dominated the opening 10 minutes, forcing Connacht on the back foot for long periods. Led by Iain Henderson and man of the match, hooker Tom Stewart, they opened with gusto before Connacht won a vital turnover. That was followed by an overthrown line-out, which Connacht hooker Delahunt fielded and kicked down field, relieving the continuous pressure as Connacht’s kicking game paid no dividends.
Ulster’s domination of first phase continued and the home side did not help itself when a stray Carty pass landed straight into Ethan McElroy’s hands. Racing down the tramline, Carty made amends with his tracking and resulting tackle to stymie what looked like a certain try.
However Connacht’s errors continued, and when Hansen knocked on after regathering a kick, it provided the visitors with another opportunity in the Connacht 22.
Despite strong Connacht forward defence from Cian Prendergast, Dan McFarland’s side continued their domination, and it eventually were rewarded when left wing Rob Little crossed. Although Tiernan O’Halloran got his hand to the ball, it fell into the path of Little who grabbed the chance to race in from from the 22 and score, Cooney missing the touchline conversion.
It was no more than Ulster deserved, but Connacht quickly hit back, their rolling maul forcing Ulster offside. With kick a to touch, two successive penalties enabled Carty to kick the points against the wind, narrowing the gap to 5-3. And it took great work from the pack, led by with Oisin Dowling and Shane Delahunt, to force another turnover when the visitors were in possession inside the Connacht 22 just the break.
Ulster, having enjoyed 64 per cent territorial advantage in the opening 40 minutes, but only two points ahead restarted where they left off, going patiently through the phases. Eventually Connacht coughed up the penalty, and from a driving maul, the consequential try arrived from the hard-working hooker .
Cooney added the extras to give his side a 3-12 lead, and by the 50th minute they had Connacht under the cosh again, and there was no stopping Ulster’s pack when they maul from a penalty to touch, Stewart claiming the touchdown and Cooney again accurate with the conversion.
Chasing a 19-3 lead, Connacht carved a rare scoring chance, and from a penalty to touch the pack found some momentum before scrumhalf Caolin Blade sniped over - Carty’s conversion shaving the uprights.
Although Ulster’s Cooney added penalty, he home side, however, did persevere. The hardworking Cian Prendergast was denied a try for an obstruction, but on the second chance Jarrad Butler claimed the consolation try - sufficient to claim a bonus point. They staged one final attack from deep, and set the Sportsground on fire.
It was phase after phase at pace with Hansen making a vital break and in the end Adam Byrne picked up from Hawkshaw to cross in the corner. The conversion from the right touchline, which if converted, would have drawn the sides level, but Carty’s kick was narrowly wide.
Connacht v Ulster: T O’Halloran, J Porch, T Farrell, B Aki, M Hansen, J Carty (C ), C Blade, D Buckley, S Delahunt, F Bealham, J Murphy, N Murray, O Dowling, C Oliver, C Prendergast
Replacements: D Heffernan for Delahunt and J Butler for Murphy (48m ), S Hurley-Langton for Oliver, (51 ), P Dooley for Buckley ((52 ), D Robertson-McCoy for Bealham (53-62 ), A Byrne for O’Halloran (53 ), D Hawkshaw for Aki (59m ), K Marmion for Blade and Robertson-McCoy for Bealham (both 68 ).
Ulster: M Lowry, E McIlroy, L Marshall, S McCloskey, R Lyttle, N Doak, J Cooney, R Sutherland, T Stewart, M Moore, A O’Connor, I Henderson (C ), D McCann, M Rea, N Timoney
Replacements: S Moore for Lowry (40m ), G Milasinovich for Moore (51 ), S Carter for O’Connor ( 53 ), G Jones for McCann (58 ), E O’Sullivan for Sutherland (67 ), J Andrew for Stewart (81 ), D Shanahan for Cooney (81 ).
