Connacht 13 Glasgow 13:SALVAGING A share of the spoils with a last-minute penalty against Glasgow was a sufficient return for Connacht in their bid to add some momentum to their RaboDirect Pro 12 campaign.
Although they lost a league place to the Dragons, who overcame Connacht’s next visitors Edinburgh, Connacht were more than happy to take the two points from a 13-13 draw, given they were without a Pro12 win in 10 games.
After a flat display at the Galway Sportsground on Saturday evening, coach Eric Elwood acknowledged the relief at getting something from a poor display.
“As bad and all as we played, we have two points in what was a poor game by anybody’s standards,” said Elwood. “And we are just happy to get two points. We played poorly, but we got something out of the game going forward to next week. But there is a hell of a lot of work to do next week, because it will not be good enough to beat Edinburgh.”
It was dour stuff, reflective of games between these two sides where both defences are traditionally unyielding. The key difference is the kicking statistic. Although the Warriors missed two poorly-struck drop goals, they nailed every kick at goal, while Connacht missed two first-half efforts.
The Warriors have scored only one more try than Connacht throughout the league, but, says Elwood, “they take their opportunities through goals and they pride themselves on defence”.
That defence, particularly at the breakdown, stymied Connacht’s ability to build momentum, particularly in the opening 15 minutes.
The visitors were helped by some poor handling from Connacht in a scrappy opening half, with the only fizz coming from a clean break from a ruck by the Warriors’ prop John Welsh who charged over after 26 minutes for a try which Ruaridh Jackson converted. Niall O’Connor, who had missed two earlier efforts, finally landed a penalty before half-time for the home side after Glasgow were penalised in the maul, to make it 7-3 at the interval.
Jackson was again on target after the break, and it was not until Connacht were handed a life-line when right-wing Tom Seymour was yellow carded, for killing the ball after a break by Tiernan O’Halloran, that the home side got any momentum.
Three minutes later the Connacht left wing grabbed possession after neither Glasgow fullback Peter Murchie nor his counterpart Gavin Duffy could control the chip, and O’Halloran darted in at the corner. O’Connor added the conversion to level affairs.
Glasgow had Connacht pinned on their line for long periods and, it took a tackle from John Muldoon and Eoghan Grace, to deny Murchie a try. Instead they retook the lead when Grace was penalised for obstruction, replacement Duncan Weir slotting the penalty.
The same player took the wrong option with his side camped inside the Connacht half, opting for a fruitless chip through and when O’Connor was offered a last-minute penalty, he ensured Connacht of some reward.
CONNACHT: G Duffy (capt); F Vainikolo, K Tonetti (E Griffin, 59), H Fa'afili, T O'Halloran; N O'Connor, P O'Donohoe (D Moore, 51); B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Loughney, M Swift, M McCarthy, J Muldoon, E Grace (D Gannon, 71)
GLASGOW WARRIORS: P Murchie, T Seymour, T Nathan, G Morrison (capt), D Lemi (S Shaw, 66), R Jackson (D Weir, 63), H Pyrgos, R Grant (G Reid, 66), P MacArthur (F Gillies, 63), J Welsh, R Verbakel, T Ryder, R Harley, C Fusaro, R Wilson (C Forrester, 63). Yellow card: Seymour, 60.
Referee: Peter Allan (SRU).
