Frustrations are piling up for Connacht after their Champions Cup loss to Lyon leaves them at risk of an early exit from European competition this season.
Any hopes of progressing in the premier European event were shattered in their 34-20 defeat in France – their third in this year’s competition – and the likelihood of making the Challenge Cup has similarly dissipated.
Connacht go into their final Pool One game at home to Pat Lam’s Bristol Bears on Friday night in sixth place and need to finish fifth to earn a spot in the Challenge Cup playoffs.
In a tough campaign, Saturday’s loss in France was another frustrating one with key players unavailable and the concession of a host of penalties.
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“Exiting the Champions Cup it is a blow and none of us will hide from that because we want to be achieving and making everyone proud,” said head coach Pete Wilkins.
“It is frustrating. I think the bits where we put some phase attack together, and when we had the ball in the attacking half, we looked so dangerous. For us the game was there for the taking. People might assume it would have been a surprise result had we done it, but we had so much belief coming into it, and we saw glimpses to show we could do it, particularly in the third quarter.
“We obviously got on the wrong side of the ref at scrum time. That run of penalties was crucial. When we had the ball, we were in good shape, and had we just been a little tidier in the second quarter, we would have had a real platform to go after them – a frustration there definitely.”
With no Mack Hansen, Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham or Cathal Forde, and with only seven starters from Connacht’s victory over Munster, the trip to Lyon always looked a tough one for a much-changed Connacht side, made even harder when both Jack Aungier and Dylan Tierney-Martin were ruled out before the start.
Despite 25-1 odds, Connacht did hold their opponents throughout the contest, but eventually Lyon’s pace and power prevailed, and with a bonus-point try it put them top of Pool One.
Wilkins’s side delivered early, thanks to a perfect pass from Tom Daly to the supporting Sean Jansen, who tore the field apart with a bursting run from inside his own half to claim the opening try after eight minutes. JJ Hanrahan’s sideline conversion shaved the wrong side of the uprights.
It did not take long before the hosts changed gears, and helped by an injection of pace from fullback and man of the match Alexandre Tchaptchet, left wing Thaakir Abrahams crossed over for a try. With Connacht under all sorts of pressure, Tchapteche was again instrumental, taking a quick tap and bursting though to touch down from close range. Former Ireland outhalf Paddy Jackson converted both, then kept the scoreboard ticking over to help his side into a 20-5 lead.
Starved of primary possession and territory, Connacht gave themselves some hope before the break. Jansen was influential again in the build-up, and on this occasion Cian Prendergast, lurking on the wing, grabbed his side’s second try to keep the visitors in the contest at half-time.
Although spurning a real chance immediately after the break, Connacht delivered from a penalty to touch. Darragh Murray secured the ball, Tadhg McElroy delivered, and Hanrahan added the extras to close the gap to 20-17, giving Connacht real hope they could add another French bow to their European campaigns.
But that was as close as they could get. The home side retained the initiative, upped their attacking intensity with a series of close-in attacks, led by their hard-running number eight Michael Guillard, who sold the dummy to dive over.
Hanrahan added a 68th-minute penalty to edge within seven points, but Lyon changed gears again. Abrahams scored out wide to bag the bonus-point try with just five minutes remaining, and there was not enough time for Connacht to make up the deficit, leaving them without a win and their European hopes all but over.
LYON: A Tchaptchet; M Ioane, J Maraku, T Regard, T Abrahams; P Jackson, M Page-Relo; H Kaabeche, Y Charcosset, D Bamba; J Kpoku, R Taofifenua; L Allen, A Botha (capt), M Guillard.
Replacements: G Marchand for Charcosset (50 mins); M Gouzou for Taofifenua, L Rimet for Page-Relo, L Berdeu for Jackson (all 56); J Rey for Kaabeche, PTafili for Bamba (59); A Parisien for Maraku (65); U Vignolles for Guillard (70).
CONNACHT: JJ Hanrahan; A Smith, T Farrell, T Daly, S Bolton; J Carty (capt), M McDonald; P Dooley, D Tierney-Martin, J Aungier; D Murray, J Joyce; C Prendergast, J Butler, S Jansen.
Replacements: D Buckley for Dooley, S Illo for Robertson-McCoy (both 53); D Hawkshaw for Farrell (55); O Dowling for Murray (58); S Jennings for Carty (60); C Oliver for Jansen (61); E de Buitléar for McElroy (65); M Devine for Jennings (75).
Referee: Pierre Brousett (Fra).
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