Must-win games continue to come thick and fast for Connacht as they now prepare to face Ulster in the URC quarter-finals on Friday May 5.
A great place to be in, this next game in Ravenhill could be regarded as something of a bonus for Andy Friend's men, whose primary aim after losing unexpectedly to Benetton, was to claw their way back to secure Champions Cup rugby next season.
To that end they produced six wins on the trot, and although losing to Glasgow Warriors 29-27 last weekend, they still finished in the top half of the table - seventh of 16 teams - to advance to the quarter-finals.
It is a notable achievement for Irish Rugby that all four teams finished in that top eight, South Africa followed with three teams- the Stormers, Bulls and Sharks - with Glasgow Warriors in fourth position. The nearest a Welsh side came was Cardiff in 10th spot - still guaranteed Champions Cup rugby next season due to competition rules, which allow one club from each URC country, no matter if they finish outside the top eight.
That was a factor which focused Connacht's intent when they headed to Glasgow for the final round, and although losing by two point, it felt like a win - all but assuring Champions Cup rugby depending on a URC team winning the European title.
Andy Friend and staff can take a bow - a win achieved without marquee players Mack Hansen and Bundee Aki. Players such as young Cathal Forde, Shane Jennings and Byron Ralston - his first game in eight weeks - demonstrated the continued development of this squad as Friend's coaching stint comes to a positive end.
“The key thing was to get into Champions Cup next year,” Friend said. "Munster did us a favour, but we needed to make sure. It makes a hell of a difference [heading to Ulster] - good for fans, so it should be another great occasion."
In a positive turnaround in fortunes since January, the squad, he says, “always had confidence and belief".
“Some of the best rugby was played against Glasgow - sharp in attack, and our set piece continues to give us good ball. I’m happy where we are at, but we have to make sure we put everything together. The message now is right-o, we are in knock-out rugby, and you win three games and you have a cup. We know we came close to knocking off Glasgow, which is tough ask, but it didn’t fall our way, but our spirits are still up and we look forward to meeting Ulster in quarter-final.”
Munster did deliver Connacht a favour when forcing a draw with the Cell C Sharks, who had been 22-3 up, and while this was not Connacht's most complete performance, they were well in contention when the home side led 19-17 after an action-packed first half.
Friend’s side, unprepared for the pace Glasgow produced, conceded a try within three minutes when fullback Huw Jones dotted down, but the Connacht scrum produced the necessary response, winning a penalty try to level.
The home side, however, continued to dominate, delivering a second try, but a Jack Carty penalty and superb defensive work from Tom Farrell, Bryon Ralston and Conor Oliver - some 182 tackles made compared with Glasgow’s 55 - kept them in touch. When Finlay Bealham helped Cian Prendergast over the line from a tap penalty, Carty’s conversion put them into a 14-17 lead.
A missed tackle, however, put Glasgow back on the front foot as Ali Price crossed before the break, and then Glasgow changed tactics, opting to kick and keep Connacht pinned inside their own half.
With an upper hand up front, the home side then produced an unstoppable maul, resulting in their top try scorer Jonny Matthews adding his 12th of the season and George Horne adding the extras for a 26-17 lead.
However, Connacht, with a rare incursion into their opponents’ half, knocked over a penalty to reduce the arrears before Horne similarly responded. However, it was replacement Shamus Hurley-Langton, who did brilliantly with a superb carry late in the game, to score his first try for Connacht. Carty's subsequent conversion kept Connacht’s Champions Cup hopes alive.
Glasgow: H Jones, C Forbes, S McDowall (C ), S Johnson, J Dobie, T Jordan, A Price, A Dell, F Brown, L Sordoni, S Cummings, R Gray, R Darge, S Vailanu, J Dempsey, Replacements, G Horne for Dobie (11m ), D Miotti for Jones (37 ), Z Fagerson for Sordoni (38 ), J Matthews for Brown (46 ), J Bhatti for Dell (45 ), Matthews for Brown (46 ),J P de Preez for Gray (52m ), M Fagerson for Forbes (54 ).
Connacht: T O’Halloran, J Porch, T Farrell, C Forde, B Ralston, J Carty (c ), C Blade, D Buckley, D Tierney-Martin, F Bealham, O Dowling, N Murray, J Murphy, C Oliver, C Prendergast. Replacements, P Dooley for Buckley and S Illo for Bealham and S Hurley-Langton for Prendergast (40 ), E de Buitlear for Tierney-Martin (50 ), P Dooley for Buckley and S Illo for Bealham (40 ), K Marmion for Blade and D Murray for Dowling (both 54 ), T Daly for Farrell (59 ), S Jennings for O’Halloran (69 ).
