Connacht fell to consecutive defeats in the BKT United Rugby Championship, losing 27-28 to the Vodacom Bulls at the Dexcom Stadium.
A 20-minute red card to Josh Murphy clouded the night despite tries from Josh Ioane, Caolin Blade, Sean Naughton and Mack Hansen almost being enough for a late comeback victory.
It was Connacht who made the brighter start at the Dexcom. Fly-half Ioane waltzed in for a try after a long spell inside the Bulls 22, which he converted for a 7-0 lead.
The Bulls would get their first two five-pointers either side of the game's most memorable moment.
First, scrum-half Paul de Wet was on hand to dot down after Sebastian de Klerk sliced Connacht open from a midfield counterattack.
Then, the experienced Willie Le Roux got the next score, punishing a hapless Connacht defence for another try from deep, with Keegan Johannes adding the extras at the second attempt.
In between, Connacht’s Josh Murphy received the club’s first 20-minute red card in the URC era.
The back row forward claimed that he was grabbed in the groin area, leading to a TMO check.
However, on review, referee Mike Adamson and TMO Hollie Davidson failed to find sufficient evidence, and pinged Murphy for throwing a punch at Bulls’ Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
After being down a man for a quarter of the game, Murphy was replaced by Sean O’Brien.
Johannes kicked a drop goal with the Bulls first attack of the second half to push their lead out to eight points.
Caolin Blade and Connacht hit right back instantly, after a Byron Ralston break, with Ioane reducing the deficit to one.
De Wet got his second score midway through the second forty as the Bulls again struck from deep as wingers Canan Moodie and de Klerk continued to cause problems for the home side.
Ireland’s Shayne Bolton played provider to a Sean Naughton try in the closing stages.
He collected a Cian Prendergast and kicked downfield before the replacement full back dotted down in the corner.
Ioane missed the attempted conversion however, meaning the Bulls led by six heading into the final ten minutes.
Johannes and Naughton traded penalties before the closing drama.
Willie Le Roux’s high tackle on the excellent Naughton gifted the home side an opportunity to sneak in front, before Mack Hansen snuck in in the corner after fifteen patient phases.
Sean Naughton couldn’t navigate the tricky wind on his original and retaken conversion attempts, and the Bulls held on to win.
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