Connacht 48
La Rochelle 12
CONNACHT SCORED SEVEN tries on their way to a comfortable bonus point win over La Rochelle in the opening fixture of Challenge Cup Pool 2 in the Sportsground.
Robbie Henshaw touched down either side of the half-time break, but in truth everything that came after the interval was mere filler after the hosts good the job done within 39 minutes in Galway.
Pat Lam was rewarded for naming a strong starting line-up for this tie as his young backs quickly lapped up the opportunities afforded them by the Top 14 club’s second string.
Connacht scored the opening try through Jack Carty after four minutes and before 10 minutes had elapsed, Darragh Leader had offloaded to Kieran Marmion who ran in try number two.
There was a brief drop-off in intensity from Lam’s side, but after Craig Ronaldson kicked a penalty to keep the scoreboard ticking over, the bonus point was the sole focus for the young men of the west.
On the back of a powerful maul, Henshaw ran in Connacht’s third try on 31 minutes a minute before the interval, Ronan Loughney sealed the bonus point and an unassailable 29 – 0 half-time lead for Connacht.
Beating
The visitors mustered a score early in the second half, but normal service was quickly resumed as Leader again was the supplier, this time for Henshaw, after breaking the line.
The wingers combined for the sixth try of the night, Matt Healy beating a path to the line and offloading to give Danie Poolman the easy finish and Healy claimed his own score, Connacht’s seventh, with 15 minutes remaining.
With the contest long over Charles Bouldoire scored the visitors’ second try to put some sort of respectability on the scoreboard, even if the side showing 13 changes from last week’s Top14 win, had little remaining on the pitch.
Scorers
Connacht:
Tries: J Carty, K Marmion, R Henshaw (2), R Loughney, D Poolman M Healy
Conversions: C Ronaldson (4), I Porter
Penalty: C Ronaldon
La Rochelle
Tries: TBC, C Bouldoire
Conversion: J Lebai
Why no live feed??
It’s not on the telly
Well done, Connacht. An impressive start in Europe for Pat Lam’s men in 2014. A bonus point win at home in the first match is a great way to get a European campaign underway. Exciting times out West.
I would not get too excited. At one point La Rochelle had a penalty in the 22. Their out-half accidentally kicked it out over the try line when trying to put it out for a lineout.
They are quite poor.
So did Jack Carty though
Fair enough. La Rochelle as a club are not bad either, having beaten Castres and Toulouse this season, but they’ve flown into Ireland not long ahead of the game and sent out a weakened team.
I just don’t want people getting too much of a hype train going off the back of this result before the Exeter game.
The French teams basically show zero interest in this competition.
The night before a game not hours, something Connacht were forced to do for years in Pro12 and ERC. Only since HEC years that we’ve had an acclimatisation day or two…
I know it wasn’t hours, and we used to see it ourselves in the Bradley era, but the fact that Connacht used to do it themselves doesn’t make it any less terrible of a way to prepare for a competitive game.
The difference that better preparation has made to Connacht’s away performances in Europe and the league actually demonstrates my point pretty well.
The difference being Connacht didn’t use it as an excuse and usually (one or two horror shows at knock out stages apart) always delivered competitive performances on the road regardless of whether it was first group game or qualification was already lost.
Top14 sides in the main usually have way more depth than us, but shows how much progress is being made. Even with injuries and players missing we have a very strong match day squad….
Except Toulouse – since the beginning – and more recently Clermont and Toulon
Jack meant to do that
You can only beat what’s put in front of you and Connacht absolutely hammered this lot, that is the kind of finishing and ruthlessness any rugby outfit would be happy with.
They will face La Rochelle ‘ s strongest team in France, don’t understand why they send an under strength squad yo away games ?
Good victory none the less : )
Check out our round-up of all 4 provinces’ European games from the weekend at http://www.eatmypoint.com/?p=93
“Try number to”…