Connacht delivered a solid victory over regular English visitors Sale, bagging three tries in their first and only home fixture of the pre-season campaign.Play on the Dexcom Stadium pitch mirrored the building works off it - a work in progress - but it sufficient to give Connacht hope for the new season ahead.
“A good start,” says head coach Pete Wilkins. “Sale are a quality team, so you know you are going to get a real test. We were ready for that and the lads acquitted themselves really well.”
Dominating possession and territory in the opening half, Connacht created a plethora of chances and delivered twice. The earliest came from a penalty to touch, but the visitors had their measure in the maul, stymying their efforts 10 metres from the line. However the home eventually w able to take a 14-0 half-time lead into the break, courtesy of two well-worked tries.
The first was created after 20 minutes from a penalty to touch, and hooker Dylan Tierney Martin was the player to touchdown from a forward push, with Carty adding the extras. Dominating territory, Pete Wilkins’ side looker the more eager, with Carty making hay in the sunshine, finding touch when needed.
Promoted Academy player Hugh Gavin and new recruit Piers O’Connor revelled in their first opportunity at Dexcom Stadium, and four minutes from the break they made it count. Gavin took a superb straight line and Conor Oliver provided the necessary support to finish, with Carty adding the extras.
As expected, both sides made a raft of changes in the second half with the visitors taking greater control. By the 60th minute they had posted their first try through Waisea Nayacalevu after Simon McIntyre carved space down the middle. Connacht should have added a try, but on this only occasion replacement Paul Boyle knocked on over the line. It summed up game of opportunities created, several of which were spurned, until replacement scrumhalf Ben Murphy finished off after a skip pass from Colm Reilly, with Cathal Ford adding the extras.“I think we had talent on the field in the backs,” says Wilkins. “The utility value of so many is as good as we have had in previous seasons.” Still to return to play are internationals Finlay Bealham and Bundee Aki, Caolin Blade, Cian Prendergast, and Santiago Cordero.
Connacht: Piers O'Conor, Shayne Bolton, Byron Ralston, Cathal Forde, Hugh Gavin, Jack Carty, Matthew Devine, Peter Dooley, Dyan Tierney-Martin, Sam Illo, Joe Joyce (C ), Darragh Murray, Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Sean Jansen.Replacements: Paul Boyle, Denis Buckley,Temi Lasisi, Adam McBurney, Jack Aungier, Fiachna Barrett, Niall Murray, Oisin Dowling, David O'Connor, Oisin McCormack, Paul Boyle, Ben Murphy, Colm Reilly John Devine,David Hawkshaw, Daniel Hawkshaw.
Sale Sharks: Will Addison, Tom O’Flaheerty, Waisea Nayacalevu, Rob du Preez`, Arron Reed, George Ford, Raffi Quirke, Simon McIntyre, Tommy Taylor, James Harper, Le Roux Roets, Ernst van Rhyn, Sam Dugdale, Ben Currym (c ), Jean Luec du Preez.Replacements, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tumy Onasanya, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Ben Bamber, Tom Burrow, Rouban Birch, Tristan Woodman, Gus Warr, Tom Curtis, Sam Bedlow, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White,Tom Roebuck, Alex Wills. Referee: Robby Jenkinson (IRFU )
