- Rob MurphyFor the moment at least, it looks as though the pre-season optimism around this Connacht team might have been a little misguided.
No time for panic or definite assertions but one win from three means little has changed at this point in the life of a Connacht fan.
Don’t let the relatively close scoreline fool you, Connacht were bullied off the park on Saturday by a superior and more accurate Ulster outfit. Superior in key areas it should be said, not necessarily everywhere.
Their back row won the battle of the breakdown and stood out a lot more in midfield, their half backs bossed proceedings, Paddy Jackson lorded over Dan Parks in the second half, scoring a try, pinging the corners with his boot and moving his back line better.
Fullback Jared Payne was a class apart and a constant threat, Luke Marshall had the vision to carve through gaps left by the defence, none more so than in the second half for the game’s crucial try and in the second row partnership of Ian Henderson and Johan Muller they have the perfect balance of youth and experience, power and accuracy.
There’s that word again, accuracy. That’s the difference between the haves and have nots, (and when we use that phrase we’re not talking in purely budgetary terms) Ulster are precise and persistent in what they do, they don’t always get it right but when they do, they do so through the carefully crafted work of a skillful group of players.
Connacht showed, guile, craft and skills of their own early doors, they started in rip roaring fashion, two natural opensides in the flanker positions seemed to give them more direction and power in open play, Willie Faloon was as dynamic as ever, young kiwi Jake Heenan was popping up all over the place. The scrum was sound, the backs were alive and Parks was moving them well.
Parks got the try too, bringing back echoes of Eric Elwood’s famous score against Harlequins ten years ago as he went over from ten metres out catching a drifting defence off guard by making a move no one thought he would even contemplate. He converted and Connacht led.
Yet Ulster scored a try within three minutes and the tone was set. You don’t want to be too negative at such an early point in any contest but watching on from the stands, you just knew that this was game set and match when they scored with such ease and class. The impressive Michael Allen finished it.
When in the underdog role, Connacht teams win by scoring, then shutting the opposition down for a period and scoring again. They win by incremental progress through a game or on the odd occasion by barnstorming their opponents (Leinster last season). They never win when they follow up a huge score with an immediate concession, it was 7-5 at that point.
The one surprise was that Ulster didn’t stamp their authority all over the contest there and then before half time, they dominated the second quarter and finished the half on Connacht’s line, only loose hands saved Connacht at that point. Optimism was still in the stands but the die hards knew what was coming.
Ulster made the key changes, Paul Marshall was brought on at scrum half and showed some better form than he has mustered of late, Craig Gilroy came on the wing, they weren’t pivotal to the fight back, Roger Wilson, Chris Henry, Ian Henderson and Jackson filled that void but they did add to a 15 man relentless effort after half time.
For the first 14 minutes, the home side somehow survived with their try line in tact, wave upon wave of attack but the pessimism among onlookers can’t have dissipated much as on three occasions they were given a get out of jail card where Ulster hands were sloppy and possession was turned over while on another, they pushed Ulster off their own ball on a five metre scrum
Why didn’t any of these moments lead to a momentum change? Well, quite simply, Connacht didn’t have the ability to retain possession for longer than a couple of phases at that point. The set piece was sound but the fundamentals at the breakdown were non existent.
Ulster forced turnover after turnover. Connacht were blown away in the tackle area. It all served to allow the visitors the luxury of turning over possession safe in the knowledge that they would get it right back. Jackson kicked them in front with a penalty before the decisive score of the match came.
It originated in a lineout on half way and saw Ulster carve open the Connacht defence in the middle of the park. A miss read seemed the main reason for that, once in behind, Pat Lam’s side were scrambling and while Robbie Henshaw made a superb tackle, a quick recycle and more good hands from Payne sealed the score and the game.
The game petered out and late on the home side had the crowd in full voice thanks to a siege on the Ulster line but for the second week in a row, they came up one score short of a losing bonus point that could be fairly important later in the campaign.
The free scoring and high flying Ospreys come to Galway next Saturday at 5pm before the team jet off to a Treviso side that toppled Munster at the weekend. Then it’s the Heineken Cup. There is no respite, and with a backs coach still to arrive and no defence coach in sight as replacements for the departing crew from last season. The optimism is dissipating, pessimism is only around the corner.
Rob Murphy covers Connacht rugby for the Connacht Tribune and Sentinel, Galway Bay FM and is the creator of KnockON.ie.