Connacht claimed a 32-10 bonus-point win against the Kings in Galway on Saturday night, writes SIMON BORCHARDT.
The Kings, like the Cheetahs, have begun their Pro14 campaign with two heavy defeats up north. They will be looking forward to getting back to Port Elizabeth, although with their first home fixture being against Leinster, a change of scenery probably won’t result in a change of fortune.
However, Kings coach Deon Davids will be proud of his team’s second-half performance at the Sportsgrounds. They conceded only one try and were unlucky not to cross the line more than just once themselves.
Connacht, who lost at home to the Glasgow Warriors last weekend, signalled their attacking intentions when they opted to run the ball out of their 22 from the outset. Their scrum also made an early statement by earning a penalty from a big shove. The Kings would continue to be dominated up front.
Connacht’s best early scoring chance came from a driving maul that looked set to work its way over the tryline, but they were penalised for accidental obstruction.
Having seen little of the ball in the opening 10 minutes, the Kings were reduced to 14 men when Sibusiso Sithole was yellow-carded for a tip-tackle. The winger was visibly relieved when he saw it wasn’t red.
Connacht made their numerical advantage count when, after another good driving maul and a dive for the corner by Darragh Leader, Tom Farrell went over under the crossbar.
The hosts couldn’t add to their tally again while Sithole was off, but another big scrum in the 25th minute resulted in a penalty that made it 10-0.
The Kings then briefly got themselves back into the game. They sent the ball wide and while they couldn’t get over the line, the referee was playing advantage and the visitors opted to kick to the corner rather than take an easy three points. The gamble paid off, as Berton Klaasen went over in the left-hand corner.
But Connacht hit back almost immediately when Kieran Marmion put replacement Eoghan Masterson over for a converted try.
The Irish club continued to pile on the pressure, but a knock-on prevented them from scoring again. However, the Kings then conceded another scrum penalty, which allowed Connacht to attack again after the half-time hooter, and this time Ultan Dillane was driven over to make it 24-5.
The Kings’ scrum remained a weakness after the break, with the refereeing giving a team warning after yet another collapse. That was followed by Carty’s second penalty goal.
Connacht lost a man to the sin bin in the 53rd minute after Finlay Bealham shoulder-charged Masixole Banda. Soon after, the referee awarded a try to Luvuyo Pupuma, only to change his mind when he saw the big-screen replay that showed the replacement prop losing control of the ball just short of the line. Victor Sekekete also lost the ball over the line at the end of the third quarter.
Connacht survived that onslaught, though, and worked their way up to the other end of the field. They scored the bonus-point try with 12 minutes remaining, with Leader reaching over to score in the right-hand corner.
The hosts would finish the match with 14 men, after John Muldoon was yellow-carded for a shoulder charge at a ruck, and this time the Kings took advantage, with Pupuma powering over from close range to score a consolation try.
Connacht – Tries: Tom Farrell, Eoghan Masterson, Ultan Dillane, Darragh Leader. Conversions: Jack Carty (3). Penalties: Carty (2).
Kings – Tries: Berton Klaasen, Luvuyo Pupuma.
Connacht – 15 Tiernan O’Halloran, 14 Darragh Leader, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Matt Healy, 10 Jack Carty, 9 Kieran Marmion, 8 John Muldoon, 7 Jarrad Butler, 6 Sean O’Brien, 5 James Cannon, 4 Ultan Dillane, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Tom McCartney, Denis Buckley.
Subs: 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 Denis Coulson, 18 Conor Carey, 19 Quinn Roux, 20 Eoghan Masterson, 21 Caolin Blade, 22 Steve Crosbie, 23 Eoin Griffin.
Kings – 15 Masixole Banda, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Berton Klaasen, 12 Luzuko Vulindlu, 11 Sibusiso Sithole, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Andisa Ntsila, 7 Victor Sekekete, 6 Khaya Majola, 5 Dries van Schalkwyk, 4 Jurie van Vuuren, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Michael Willemse (c), 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Subs: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Luvuyo Pupuma, 18 Martin Dreyer, 19 Bobby de Wee, 20 Siyabulela Mdaka, 21 Rudi van Rooyen, 22 Oliver Zono, 23. Jacques Nel.
Photo: @ConnachtRugby/Twitter
