Celtic League/ Connacht 24; Neath/Swansea Ospreys 21: Not for the first time has a Welsh outfit fallen victim to Connacht's recovery powers. Neath-Swansea Ospreys were the latest as Connacht overhauled a 21-7 deficit at the Sportsground on Saturday to halt the Welsh outfit's recent run of form and post the double over them this season.
It may not have been the perfect build-up to Connacht's Easter Sunday date with Harlequins in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup, but the result was important, not only in maintaining winning momentum but also to secure their mid-table position in the league.
In a scrappy encounter, dictated by a strong wind, coach Michael Bradley was suitably impressed with his second-half substitutes and a return to the basics, in which the home outfit had the edge.
"We're very happy to have come back at them and won. We were looking at a situation where we could have lost that game easily and we would have had no complaints," said Bradley.
Instead the introduction of lock Damien Browne, prop Adrian Clarke and scrumhalf Conor O'Loughlin aided Connacht's mauling game in the second half, resulting in two vital tries, while the astute kicking of Mark McHugh and Eric Elwood kept the Ospreys pinned in their own 22 for most of the second half.
"The lads who came on made a difference and we went back to basics and it paid dividends. Certainly we are delighted to have beaten the in-form team of the league - their performance was certainly up 30 per cent since we met then in Swansea earlier in the season," added the coach.
On this evidence it is hard to see Bradley making many changes for Sunday. Although Connacht's expansive game received little change from the well-organised Ospreys defence, his team's ability to capitalise on conditions in the second half proved crucial.
Through the boots of McHugh and Elwood, Connacht exacted maximum advantage in establishing territorial control and cut the Ospreys' 21-7 lead in half by the 56th minute, instigating the revival.
Lock Andrew Farley claimed the try after his lineout catch from a penalty kicked to touch and the resulting maul was unstoppable despite the introduction of the Jones boys, Adam and Duncan.
McHugh converted from the right touchline and four minutes later added a penalty from just inside the 10-metre line to narrow the deficit to a single try, which came seven minutes later when a high tackle on centre Darren Yapp yielded the necessary penalty. Again Connacht opted for touch and the Ospreys could not prevent number eight John O'Sullivan going over, McHugh adding the conversion.
The visitors had opened with a third-minute penalty from full back Gavin Henson, but they fell behind after McHugh had been able to secure a loose ball and cross for the opening try, which he converted.
However, the Ospreys got into their stride with some potent attacking play, and in a 20-minute period of pressure Henson potted the simplest of penalties before flanker Steve Tandy crossed after 26 minutes.
Just before the break Bater strode in for another well-worked try, but in the wind it proved insufficient to douse the home side's ambition.
Scoring sequence: 3 mins: Henson penalty 0-3; 12: McHugh try and con 7-3; 22: Henson pen 7-6; 26: Tandy try 7-11; 41: Bater try, Henson con 7-18. Half-time: 7-18; 42: Henson pen 7-21; 56: Farley try, McHugh con 14-21; 60: McHugh pen 17-21; 67: O'Sullivan try, McHugh con 24-21.
CONNACHT: M Mostyn; C McPhillips, D Yapp, M McHugh, W Munn; E Elwood, M Walls; D McFarland, B Jackman (capt), A Clarke, M Swift, A Farley, McCarthy, M Lacey, J O'Sullivan. Replacements: D Browne for McCarthy, A Clarke for Bracken (half-time); C O'Loughin for Walls (60 mins); J Fogarty for Jackman (72 mins).
NEATH/SWANSEA OSPREYS: G Henson; S Terblanche, J Storey, D Tiueti, E Seveali'i; S Connor, A Williams; P James, B Williams (capt), A Millward, A Newman, L Tait, J Bater, S Tandy, N Bonner-Evans. Replacements: A Jones for James, D Jones for Millward (half-time); L Bateman for Bonner-Evans (61 mins); , A Lloyd for Tandy (73 mins); S Williams v Seveali'i, A Durston for Connor (74 mins).
Referee: G Hannah (Scotland).
