AMLIN CUP SEMI-FINAL/Connacht 12 RC Toulon 19:CONNACHT CAME within a whisker of arguably their greatest achievement in European rugby on another enthralling night at the Sportsground. Completely outplayed, outmuscled and at times unusually brittle in the opening half, they produced a passionate avowal of the qualities that has brought Michael Bradley's side so much respect this season.
Toulon, an expensively assembled concoction of global talent, breathed a sigh of relief at the final whistle. They are a better team but on the night only just merited this victory thanks to a controversial denouement to the first half. For the second 40 minutes they spent most of the time shoehorned into their own half from which they rarely escaped.
Connacht had several standout performers from Gavin Duffy’s aerial masterclass to the contributions of players like Jonny O’Connor, Niva Ta’auso, captain, John Muldoon and Seán Cronin.
The final throes of the opening half produced some bizarre sequence of events in which referee Wayne Barnes took centre stage. It started three minutes into injury-time when Connacht were penalised and Toulon elected to take a scrum five metres from the home side’s line.
In the next seven minutes the Irish province were penalised on five occasions, four times for collapsing and once for deliberately whipping the scrum around. Connacht tighthead Jamie Hagan was officially warned and prior to the second last of the eight scrums – three were reset during the sequence – he was replaced by Robbie Morris.
The English referee demonstrated remarkable forbearance in continuing to penalise the home team if he deemed them guilty of persistent infringement. Toulon, though, were not to be denied and in the 10th minute of additional time centre Mali Kefu brushed aside Aidan Wynne’s tackle to score under the posts.
Wilkinson’s conversion took the French side out to a 19-9 interval lead when the vociferous home crowd had genuinely believed they were about to turn around just three points adrift, 12-9 having played into the strong wind.
Toulon will reasonably point to the number of line breaks they made during that period but they could not convert them into points, partially because of Connacht’s gutsy, scrambling defence.
Defence, though, was a massive issue for Connacht in the first half as the line-speed was passive and this facilitated a physically more powerful Toulon in bossing the collisions. It was poor technically too from the home side’s perspective as too many players went high and were brushed aside too easily.
The French side was also able to use their offloading game to good effect. Fijian wing Gabi Lovobalavu was especially lethal, his power and neat footwork attracting several defenders to try and subdue him.
Connacht did not protect their hard won possession zealously, too often opting for little dinks, chips and punts that simply turned over ball and allowed the visitors to re-establish a territorial foothold. Despite the occasional defensive fragility, Connacht showed tremendous resolution and on the strength of Keatley’s accuracy with the placed ball – three from as many attempts – appeared to have negotiated the wind factor in rude health until the injury-time scrum-fest.
Wilkinson had kicked three penalties and a conversion but Toulon coach Philippe Saint Andre wouldn’t have been happy with his team’s lack of precision: despite that somewhat fortuitous 10-point cushion they would not have to face the elements and were still very much in a game.
Michael Bradley recalibrated the patterns and urged his charges to unleash a greater physical intensity. They responded magnificently. Keatley kicked them to within seven points three minutes after the resumption with his fourth penalty and Connacht set about their visitors with a fury and cold-eyed belligerence that had the French side reeling.
Three times the home side got to within metres of the Toulon line only to be undone by an error. Ta’auso’s coruscating breaks, O’Connor’s lung bursting foraging and support play, Cronin’s carrying and replacement Miah Nikora’s – he was just wide with a long range penalty that would have made Toulon palatably more uncomfortable than the discomfort they were already experiencing – intelligent direction brought them to the cusp of what would have been a magnificent achievement.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 1 min: Keatley penalty, 3-0; 9: Wilkinson penalty, 3-3; 17: Wilkinson penalty, 3-6; 20: Keatley penalty, 6-6; 25: Wilkinson drop goal 6-9; 33: Wilkinson penalty, 6-12; 36: Keatley penalty, 9-12; 40(+9): Kefu try, Wilkinson conversion, 9-19. Half-time: 9-19. 43: Keatley penalty, 12-19.
CONNACHT: G Duffy; T Nathan, N Ta’auso, A Wynne, F Carr; I Keatley, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, S Cronin, J Hagan; M Swift, M McCarthy; J Muldoon (capt), J O’Connor, G Naoupu. Replacements: B Tuohy for Nathan 18 mins; R Morris for Hagan 40 (+7) mins; R Loughney for Wilkinson 48 mins; M Nikora for Keatley 52 mins; B Upton for Swift 59 mins; M McComish for McCarthy 68 mins; C O’Loughlin for Murphy 69 mins.
RC TOULON: L Rooney; G Lovobalavu, M Kefu, T May, C Marienval; J Wilkinson, M Henjak (capt); S Taumoepeau, P Fitzgerald, T Leaaetoa; J Suta, E Lozada; J van Niekerk, T Sourice, J Fernandez Lobbe. Replacements: S Bruno for Fitzgerald 53 mins; O Missoud for Sourice 53 mins; S Williams for Wilkinson 57 mins; B Basteres for Taumoepeau 58 mins; T Ryan for Leaaetoa 64 mins; K Chesney for Lozada 64 mins; P Mignoni for Henjak 68 mins; E Auelua for Lobbe 79 mins.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
