[caption id="attachment_68916" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Connacht's Mike McCarthy is tackled by Rhys Ruddock and Damian Browne of Leinster."]
THE Connacht rugby team is still asking itself what it has to do to bring about a change of fortunes.
Their New Year’s Day RaboDirect Pro12 meeting at the Sportsground with Leinster yet again ended in frustration. Somehow Connacht found themselves at the wrong end of a 15-13 defeat despite outscoring the reigning European champions by two tries to nil.
Furthermore, they missed five kicks at goal. And, to add to their agony, the capacity crowd of 6,582 thought that their team had pulled off a last-gasp victory only for the television match official to rule that Miah Nikora’s drop goal attempt had dropped just short.
Initially, referee John Lacey appeared to be satisfied that Nikora’s effort had cleared the bar, raising his right arm, but he then asked for a television replay. And, much to the disappointment of the crowd, it showed that the kick had dropped fractionally under the crossbar.
In many ways, it summed up how things have been going for Connacht recently. Twice they have travelled to England to take on two of the leading Premiership teams Harlequins and Gloucester and come away with narrow defeats from games they should have won.
Unfortunately, it seems you get use to losing in such circumstances, just as you get used to winning. Leinster and Munster have both developed the important habit of winning games they could so easily have lost.
Leinster coach Joe Schmidt was the first to admit that Connacht are having absolutely no luck. Not only did Nikora’s effort drop just short, but earlier the same player had seen a conversion attempt, which would have brought Connacht level, go fractionally wide from a good position.
That’s the way things have been going for Connacht. After a really promising start to the season, they have now lost 12 games on the trot.
At least half of those encounters they will feel they should have won. But the reality, of course, is that you simply must make you opportunities pay and Connacht sadly are falling down in that area.
For example, while Matthews Jarvis and Nikora failed to find their range with their goalkicking, Leinster nailed everything that came their way. Isa Nacewa landed all of his five penalties, despite the difficult windy conditions which prevailed at the Sportsground.
Connacht coach Eric Elwood knows the score. He said: “Listen, Leinster are the European champions and we outscored them by two tries to nil. But we just couldn’t buy a kick.
“If one of those kicks goes over, it provides us with the lift we need. Unfortunately again, a great performance, good crowd participation, a great night, but we have nothing to show for it.”
Ironically, had the television cameras not been at the Sportsground, Connacht would probably be celebrating a victory because referee Lacy’s first instinct was that Nikora’s drop goal had gone over. “That’s right.” stressed Elwood. “If it wasn’t on TV, we probably would have won that game. But to be fair to the referee, he was absolutely right to use the technology; that’s why it’s there.”
The outcome means that Leinster have moved six points clear of the Ospreys at the top of the table while Connacht are third last. Hopefully, things will improve when they meet bottom of the table Aironi away in Italy next time out.
But that’s by no means certain, especially as their squad was hit by further injuries against Leinster. Brian Tuohy, Ronan Loughney, Johnny O’Connor and Eoin Griffin all sustained knocks with wing Tuohy’s suspected broken leg being the most serious.
Leinster, to be fair, weren’t at full strength but they did have enough top flight players to have done much better. As it was, they performed reasonably well to lead 9-3 after playing against the wind in the first half.
But it was a revitalised Connacht who had much the better of the second period, producing most of the rugby. They scored two tries through their promising young wing Tiernan O’Halloran and substitute hooker Ethienne Reynecke but unfortunately could not add either conversion.
Leinster, it has to be said, didn’t help themselves by getting scrum-half Isaac Boss and skipper Leo Cullen sinbinned at various stages. Crucially though, unlike Connacht, they had a goalkicker in Nacewa who couldn’t miss and he added two more penalties to give them a fortunate victory.
Ulster dispose of Munster
ULSTER kept alive their hopes of a top four spot in the RaboDirect Pro12 League with a comprehensive 33-17 victory over a severely understrength Munster side at Ravenill last Friday night.
Playing their second game in four days, Munster had little option. To add to their difficulties, the likes of Paul O’Connell and Ronan O’Gara were not allowed to play because of the IRFU Player management programme.
The same system ruled out Stephen Ferris and Rory Best for Ulster but they still managed to field a very strong side. Munster, on the other hand, had what amounted to a shadow team.
It showed as Ulster comfortably picked up a bonus point scoring four tries through former Springbok wing Stefan Terblanche, All-Black prop John Afoa, out-half Ian Humphreys and scrum-half Ryan Pienaar. For good measure, Humphreys landed two conversions and two penalties, while Pienaar, another former Springbok, kicked one conversion.
All that Munster could manage in replay were two tries from wing Luke O’Dea and a last minute consolation effort from wing Johne Murphy, plus two conversions and a penalty from out-half Ian Keatley.
To be fair to Ulster, they did what they had to do, playing some very good rugby in difficult conditions. They are now up to seventh in the table, four points adrift of fourth placed Glasgow Warriors.
Munster remain in third position, a point behind second placed Ospreys but with a game more played. Despite the defeat, their coach Tony McGahern is pleased enough with the way things stand as his side prepares for some vital Heineken Cup games later this month.
Ulster boss Brian McLaughlin was concious of just how important this victory was for his team. He said: “We needed that sort of performance to put ourselves back in the running for a play-off spot. But it also provides us with a major boost before our upcoming Heineken Cup fixtures.”
O’Connell to lead Ireland
TO no one’s surprise, Paul O’Connell has been named as the Irish skipper for the upcoming Six Nations Championship.
This follows the shoulder injury to Brian O’Driscoll which rules him out of the entire campaign. O’Connell, currently the Munster skipper, has previously led Ireland on a number of occasions, notably for the first match at Croke Park against France in 2007 when O’Driscoll was again injured.
Needless to say, O’Connell is looking forward to the challenge. He commented: “I have been lucky to have played for my country on 82 occasions and during that time I have always felt that the responsibility of leadership should not just rest on the shoulders of Brian (O’Driscoll) and that the senior players are incredibly important.
“We are lucky in Ireland that we have a couple of important leaders across the pitch and I know I will be relying on them during the championship.”
Dublin struggle to win
DUBLIN footballers made a low key start to the new season with a 3-10 to 3-8 victory over the Dub Stars at the Thomas Davis Club in Tallaght on New Year’s Day.
Manager Pat Gilroy saw Alan Brogan and Kevin McMananom score goals in quite an entertaining encounter. But Gilroy was quick to point out that there is an awful lot of work to be done before Dublin are in full working order.
Because of injury and college commitments, Dublin began with only four of their All-Ireland starters. But Gilroy anticipates that most of the squad will be available later in the month.
The Dublin hurlers also recorded a victory against the Dubs Stars, winning 3-23 to 3-13. The main topic of conversation was the cruciate knee injuries which will keep Conal Keaney, Tomas Brady and Stephen Hiney out of the National League campaign.
Manager Anthony Daly is hoping that they can follow the example of Kilkenny great Henry Shefflin in getting themselves right again. Both Keaney and Brady are targeting the Leinster semi-final in June for a possible comeback. “So far, so good, they are working really hard.” states Daly. “But they will not be involved in the league. It would be great if they take inspiration from what Shefflin did last year when he timed his recovery perfectly to get back for the Leinster semi-final.”
