As the semi-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup are on this weekend we thought we’d take a look back to this time last year when Connacht welcomed the mighty Toulon to the Sportsground.

On the back of a tough Magners League campaign Michael Bradley’s Connacht remained the only unbeaten team in both the Amlin Challenge Cup and the Heineken Cup by the semi-final stage. October 2009 saw Connacht hammer Olympus Madrid 46-6 in the Sportsground before travelling to the South of France and beating Montpellier 22-19. Worcester were the opposition in December, back to back home and away wins put Connacht in pole position in the group and after seeing off Montpellier at the Sportsground  an away trip to group minnows Olympus Madrid was all that stood between the team and a quarter-final spot. A 66-0 drubbing put Connacht through as group winners and secured a home quarter-final against French highflyers Bourgoin. Bourgoin fought their way back from a half time deficit of 14-10 to lead by 20 points to 14 before French international Benjamin Boyet was sent to the sin binning for killing the ball. An Ian Keatley Penalty, a Miah Nikora Penalty and an 80th minute drop goal from Nikora put Connacht through to their 3rd Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final and crucially, as top seeds, a home draw.

Toulon had an impressive tournament as well, beating Castres, Saracens and Rovigo in the pool stages before overcoming Scarlets in their quarter-final. Johnny Wilkinson, Sonny Bill Williams, Tonga Lea'aetoa and Juan Fernandez Lobbe, along with the rest of the highly bankrolled Toulon side arrived in Galway on the 30th April last year. Despite Ian Keatley’s impressive goal kicking with 4 penalties it was the French powerhouses, with the deadly accurate book of Wilkinson (1 Conversion, 1 drop-goal and 3 penalties) and a try from Mafi Kefu, who took the spoils on the day.
This weekend Munster welcome Harlequins to Thomond Park in Limerick while Stade Francais take on Clermont Auvernge in the semi-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup.

Michael Swift scoring a crucial try against Bourgoin in the quarter-final last season