Connacht show fight to keep Champions Cup dream alive

Connacht 20 Ospreys 24

Connacht finished in seventh place in this season’s Guinness Pro 12 to keep their hopes of Champions Cup rugby alive.

It was Connacht’s last stand at the Galway Sportsground and while not good enough to secure a win, the valuable bonus point was sufficient to give them another chance of obtaining Champions Cup rugby next season.

In claiming the bonus point, Connacht now go through to meet Gloucester in the first-leg of the play-off next Sunday – Edinburgh having been denied by Leinster in Murrayfield by 36-23 and Scarlets having claimed the automatic sixth place qualification spot.

Despite opening with intent and with possession, Connacht's endeavour found little reward, and they once again paid the price for a poor opening half. Although they did carve out two chances, which had the passes stuck both Matt Healy and Bundee Aki could have crossed for two early tries. Instead they found themselves 10-0 down after the opening 20 minutes.

A creaking Connacht scrum, usually a source of front-foot ball, put the home side under pressure. Opting for a penalty scrum, Connacht were shunted back by the visitors and Dan Biggar stepped up to open the scoring from the half-way line. The visitors, backed by the strong wind, similarly capitalised from a second reeling Connacht scrum, exploiting the space for centre Ben John to break through before finding Biggar for the first try after 17 minutes.

Connacht’s failure to protect possession, coupled with the Ospreys’ superior offloading game, had the home side on the back foot from then on and the league leaders struck for two more tries in a two minute period.

John crossed in the 27th minute, running a superb line from an attacking lineout, before scrumhalf Rhys Webb, showing no signs of his late flight into Ireland following the birth of his second child on Friday, struck for the third as Connacht’s defence was marked absent. Biggar added the conversions for a 24-0 lead.

Connacht, with the wind behind them, opened their account immediately after the restart with a Jack Carty penalty, and the Athlone native added a second in the 48th minute to kickstart the fightback.

Connacht, with their tails up, then reaped rewards from two successive penalties to touch – the forwards driving on with openside Eoghan Masterson claiming the touchdown for a second week in a row. Carty's conversion narrowed the gap to 13-24 as the home side had all the momentum.

The Ospreys did their best to take the puff out of Connacht with some time wasting tactics, but Connacht finished the match on the front foot. Veteran Michael Swift made an impact in his final match before retiring, and it was Pro 12 dream team prop Denis Buckley who scored the vital try – earning Connacht the bonus point to see them finish in seventh place.

CONNACHT: O'Halloran; Carr, Henshaw, Aki, Healy; Carty, Marmion; Buckley, McCartney, Ah You; Browne, Muldowney; Muldoon, Masteron, E McKeon.

Replacements: Cooney for Marmion (20 mins), Naoupu for Browne (60 mins), Bealham for Ah You (64 mins), Swift for McKeon (64 mins), O'Leary for Healy (69 mins).

OSPREYS: D Evans; Dirkson, John, Matavesi, Walker; Biggar, Webb; N Smith, Baldwin, Arhip; Ardron, Wyn Jones; King, Tipuric, Baker.

Replacements: Jarvis for Arhip (54 mins), Lydiate for King (60 mins), Spratt for Evans (64 mins), Parry for Baldwin (75 mins).

Refeee: Marius Mitrea (France).