For the first time in nine years Connacht have made it three wins from three to start the season, staging an incredible second half comeback to defeat Ulster 22-20 in a thrilling Interpro at the Sportsground.
Inconsistency has been a regular failing for the western province, and when they found themselves 20-3 behind against Ulster early in the second half, having dominated the first 40 minutes, it looked like their fine start to the season was going to be undone.
However, Pete Wilkins' side were ruthless in the final 35 minutes, with tries for Cathal Forde, Tom Farrell and Diarmuid Kilgallen seeing them hit Ulster for 19 unanswered points, and moving top of the BKT United Rugby Championship table.
The hosts played some thrilling rugby at times, and while they were wasteful in the opening half, they were inspired by captain and out-half Jack Carty in their comeback, with their record scorer leading the way with an aggressive and confident display.
Having got back into the game with Forde’s try on 45 minutes, Carty turned down easy shots at goal in favour of going for the jugular, and that approach was rewarded when they cut the gap even further with Farrell’s score on 53 minutes, before the out-half's beautiful crossfield kick to Diarmuid Kilgallen provided the winning score.
Ulster had been 20-3 in front early in the second half after Dave Shanahan ran in for their second try.
Dan McFarland’s side had been dealing with a lengthy injury list before the game, which Will Addison was added to just before kick-off, but they were composed and efficient when they had the ball in the opening half, with Jake Flannery scoring a try, a conversion and two penalties in the first 40, to give his side a 10-point half time cushion.
Ulster had two early opportunities to attack the Connacht 22, but were left to rue a poorly functioning lineout. First, John Andrew saw his throw picked off by Oisin Dowling, before the hooker’s second lineout was overthrown, allowing the home side steal possession.
Once Connacht got a hold of the ball, they looked sharp in attack, with Tom Farrell and Byron Ralston connecting to send the Australian into space out wide, before Tiernan O’Halloran broke straight through midfield, offloading to Jarrad Butler who was stopped short of the line by Dave McCann.
The hosts were creating chances but Ulster’s scramble defence was keeping them out, with McCann coming up with a big breakdown turnover to eventually kill the attack.
Connacht had controlled possession and territory in the opening quarter, but had nothing to show for it until the 20th minute when Carty kicked them into a 3-0 lead, the captain landing a penalty from 35 metres out after McCann had gone off his feet at a ruck.
That lead was quickly cancelled out by Flannery, who slotted a penalty from close to 50 metres out to level the scores on 23 minutes, with Conor Oliver penalised for an infringement at the breakdown.
The northern province soon had their best period of the game. Starting with a scrum penalty on halfway, they kicked down into the Connacht 22, and after a series of phases infield they whipped it back down the blind side, only for Ralston and Blade to force Ben Moxham into touch.
While the first 30 minutes were tryless, it had been entertaining stuff. Connacht hooker Dylan Tierney Martin put his side under pressure with a risky lineout to the tail in his own 22, but made up for the error with a breakdown penalty shortly after. Moments later, a dummied box-kick from Blade saw him cut through a gap at the fringe of a ruck, but the hosts were again lacking the killer instinct to make it count.
On 33 minutes, Ulster struck for the game’s first try. It was a quick bit of thinking from second row Harry Sheridan that created the score, spotting an unguarded fringe at a midfield ruck. The lock broke clear and was brought down inside the 22, but had the presence of mind to offload to Flannery, with the out-half running in under the posts to score, before converting to make it 10-3.
Two minutes later Flannery pushed that advantage out to 13-3 with his second penalty of the game, as Ulster brought a healthy 10-point lead into the half time break.
Connacht needed a big response after the break, but it was Ulster who hit the ground running.
The second half was just a minute old when James Hume’s offload sent the lightning quick Aaron Sexton into space, and the former international sprinter popped back inside to Shanahan who ran in under the posts. Another Flannery conversion stretched the Ulster lead out to 20-3.
Having dominated possession and territory, Connacht all of a sudden found themselves chasing the game, and got back into the contest on 47 minutes with a try for Forde.
Having kicked a penalty to the corner, the province got their maul working in the Ulster 22, with Blade eventually passing to Forde, who ran an unstoppable line through the Ulster defence. Carty’s conversion brought it back to a 10-point game, the hosts still trailing 20-10.
The Sportsground was starting to rock, and after winning two quickfire penalties, the Connacht players sensed the game was still theirs for the taking.
Carty turned down a simple three-pointer on 53 minutes which would have cut the gap to seven and instead pointed for the corner, and his confidence was justified when he put Farrell through a gap in the defence, and the centre dived over to score his side’s second try.
The Connacht captain still had plenty to do with the conversion just off the left touchline, but his curling strike split the posts to make it 20-17.
A penalty from the restart almost handed three points back to the visitors, but Flannery’s radar was off for the first time on the night, pulling the kick to the left and wide, as we rounded the hour-mark with just three between the sides.
By now, it was all Connacht. Carty again turned down a simple penalty in front of the posts which would have levelled the game on 64 minutes, but that confidence didn't reap the same reward again with Prendergast was held up over the line.
Two minutes later, the out-half took the sensible decision to aim for the posts when another penalty was given to his side, but couldn’t draw the teams level, pulling his kick left and wide.
It didn’t fluster Carty though. Another penalty followed on the halfway line after 71 minutes, and he drilled it deep down into the 22 to set his side up for another big drive at the line.
The home side got their maul working, and after it was brought down by UIster, an advantage followed. After a series of short phases, Carty took matters into his own hands with a crossfield kick to Kilgallen on the left wing, and the Kildare man connected perfectly with it to dive over and send his side in front for the first time in the game.
The conversion drifted right and wide as Connacht took a two-point lead into the final five minutes, but Ulster had nothing left in the tank as the hosts saw out a brilliant win.
Connacht: Tiernan O'Halloran; Byron Ralston, Tom Farrell, Cathal Forde, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Jack Carty (capt), Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jack Aungier; Oisín Dowling, Joe Joyce; Shamus Hurley-Langton, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast.
Replacements: Tadgh McElroy, Jordan Duggan, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Niall Murray, Jarrad Butler, Colm Reilly, David Hawkshaw, Andrew Smith.
Ulster: Ethan McIlroy; Aaron Sexton, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Ben Moxham; Jake Flannery, Dave Shanahan; Eric O'Sullivan, John Andrew, James French; Alan O'Connor (capt), Harry Sheridan; Matty Rea, Reuben Crothers, Nick Timoney.
Replacements: Tom Stewart, Andy Warwick, Greg McGrath, Joe Hopes, David McCann, Nathan Doak, Billy Burns, Ben Carson.
Referee: Morne Ferreira (SARU)
