Connacht 3 Rovigo 3
Connacht enter the brief Christmas break with their European ambitions still alive, a confidence boost after two bonus-point wins, and some respite to allow the worrying injury list to improve.
Saturday’s fourth round European Challenge Cup clash with Rovigo was hardly a cracker, nor will it have prepared Connacht for the much harder Magners League fixtures to come during the festive season when they face Munster and Leinster. But this second of the back-to-back fixtures with the Italian side ensured Connacht maintain their target to qualify for the European quarter-finals, and for that it was a job reasonably well done.
Connacht certainly made hard work of it. They ran the show for most of the match against a Rovigo side that was limited in attack, but it took all of 70 minutes before they could wear them down and grab the anticipated bonus point .
It proved nearly a mirror of last week's game in Italy. Connacht scored two tries in each half, including another two from scrumhalf Frank Murphy for the necessary return as Rovigo proved a gritty outfit to penetrate.
“I thought Rovigo came out stronger than they did last week and were quite difficult to break down,” said Connacht coach Michael Bradley.
“ The conditions were similar, but our pitch was a little bit better. It was not a bad game of rugby if you were a Connacht supporter. There were plenty of opportunities for us, we converted four and had maybe eight chances to score so there was plenty of excitement.
“Rovigo tend to tire and we had the advantage coming into the last quarter. We did create opportunities, but on a couple of occasions we went wide too early. The clinching try came from an inside switch from Andrew Browne who recognised that it was better to attack Rovigo on the inside.
“Ten points from the last week gives us something to play for when we meet London Irish. It would be great to advance, but we still may not have enough, so we have to keep our heads down. With three important Magners League games coming up we now have to switch into Magners League mode.”
On a wet evening at the Sportsground, outhalf Ian Keatley gave Connacht an early lead with two penalties as Rovigo kept infringing at ruck time. Rovigo centre German Bustos missed a simple opportunity to reduce the arrears with a penalty in front of the posts before Connacht once again established their domination, and when Rovigo were once again penalised on the floor, Connacht took their chance with Keatley kicking to the corner. The reliable Andrew Farley caught the lineout and from the ensuing maul Adrian Flavin charged through to grab the opening try after 22 minutes.
Connacht then spent the next 10 minutes pounding the Rovigo line with the lively Frank Murphy once again at the heart of Connacht’s attack, aided and abetted by some industrious forward driving. Opportunities were created, but a lack of clinical finishing kept them out until Rovigo failed to clear their lines and Connacht struck again. Once again it was Farley who secured the line-out, and Murphy raced through untouched for the second try on 35 minutes.
The Italian side enjoyed a spell of pressure before the break and Connacht did well to defend their lines on two occasions before Rovigo fullback Stefan Basson slotted a drop goal from 35 metres to post their only score of the game.
However Connacht took advantage when Rovigo lost their second player to the sinbin, forcing the Italians on the back foot once again. Superiority in the scrum and a series of decent drives resulted in Murphy finishing off after 58 minutes.
Thereafter the game offered little to the hardy spectators as substitutions interrupted the game’s rhythm. Connacht’s lack of cutting edge also looked like it could be their downfall until the pack once again came up trumps, and Andrew Browne's inside pass paved the way for Farley to score and ensure the bonus point.
Yellow card: Vicere (28 mins ), Tumiati (48 mins ).
Connacht: F Carr; Troy Nathan, G Duffy, K Matthews, D Riordan; I Keatley, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Morris, A Browne, A Farley, D Gannon, R Ofisa, M McCarthy. Replacements: M Swift for Ofisa (half-time ), M Deane for Carr, S Cronin for Gannon (66 mins ), K Campbell for Murphy, B McGovern for Morris, T Donnelly for Keatley, J Lyne for Wilkinson (all 74 mins ).
Rovigo: S Basson; JP Sanchez, N Di Maura, G Bustos, A Bacchetti; S Ambrosio, S Canale; B Fortuna, V Vicere, M Sclosa, M Barion, D Tumiati, S Favaro, N Badocchi, A Giuria.
Replacements: N Pavin for JP Sanchez (38 mins ), A Di Marchi for Fortuna, F Damiano for Vicere (51 mins ), J Immelman for Barion, P Aretusini for de Maura (61 mins ), E Boarato for Ambrosio (66 mins ).
Referee: D Rosich (France ).
