Match Centre

Full Time

22 - 8

  • EPCR Challenge Cup

  • Sat 10 Dec 2022 | 17:30

  • Dexcom Stadium

3
  • Boyle 3'

  • Byrne 36'

  • Kilgallen 76'

Tries

1
  • Earle 24'

1
  • Hawkshaw 59'

Penalties

1
  • Schoeman 19'

2
  • Hawkshaw 3'

  • Hawkshaw 37'

Conversions

0

Peter

Dooley

1

Conrad

Cade

Dylan

Tierney-Martin

2

Jamie

Blamire

Jack

Aungier

3

Mark

Tampin

Josh

Murphy

4

Greg

Peterson

Niall

Murray

5

Sebastian

de Chaves

Jarrad

Butler

6

Matthew

Dalton

Shamus

Hurley-Langton

7

Tom

Marshall

Paul

Boyle

8

Callum

Chick

Caolin

Blade

9

Sam

Stuart

David

Hawkshaw

10

Tian

Schoeman

Diarmuid

Kilgallen

11

Nathan

Earle

Cathal

Forde

12

Tom

Penny

Tom

Daly

13

Matias

Moroni

Adam

Byrne

14

Adam

Radwan

Tiernan

O'Halloran

15

Alex

Tait

Replacements

Shane

Delahunt

16

Charlie

Maddison

Denis

Buckley

17

Adam

Brocklebank

Sam

Illo

18

Richard

Palframan

Leva

Fifita

19

Josh

Peters

Oisin

McCormack

20

Marcus

Tiffen

Colm

Reilly

21

Josh

Barton

Conor

Fitzgerald

22

Josh

Thomas

Tom

Farrell

23

Ewan

Greenlaw

81

It's all over! The referee has blown their whistle to end the game.

77

The ball swings towards the posts but floats to the right, David Hawkshaw will have to re-adjust the radar.

76

What a kick! Diarmuid Kilgallen takes full advantage to score for Connacht Rugby.

75

Conor Fitzgerald played a key part in that try.

74

A gap opened in the defence and Colm Reilly took full advantage.

73

A gap opened in the defence and Nathan Earle took full advantage.

68

Connacht Rugby make a substitution with Colm Reilly coming on.

68

Connacht Rugby make a substitution with Caolin Blade coming off.

67

Newcastle Falcons make a substitution with Ewan Greenlaw coming on.

67

Newcastle Falcons make a substitution with Adam Radwan coming off.

66

Newcastle Falcons make a substitution with Josh Barton coming on.

66

Newcastle Falcons make a substitution with Sam Stuart coming off.

63

Connacht Rugby sub Oisin McCormack comes onto the field.

63

Shamus Hurley-Langton departs for Connacht Rugby.

63

Newcastle Falcons sub Marcus Tiffen comes onto the field.

63

Callum Chick departs for Newcastle Falcons.

63

Connacht Rugby sub Tom Farrell comes onto the field.

63

Tom Daly departs for Connacht Rugby.

63

Connacht Rugby sub Conor Fitzgerald comes onto the field.

63

Cathal Forde departs for Connacht Rugby.

59

Josh Thomas comes on for Newcastle Falcons.

59

Tian Schoeman leaves the field.

59

Richard Palframan comes on for Newcastle Falcons.

59

Mark Tampin leaves the field.

59

Shane Delahunt comes on for Connacht Rugby.

59

Dylan Tierney-Martin leaves the field.

59

Sam Illo comes on for Connacht Rugby.

59

Jack Aungier leaves the field.

59

Denis Buckley comes on for Connacht Rugby.

59

Peter Dooley leaves the field.

59

David Hawkshaw adds the points for Connacht Rugby.

52

Josh Peters comes on.

52

Adam Brocklebank comes on.

52

Greg Peterson comes off.

52

Charlie Maddison comes on.

52

Conrad Cade comes off.

52

Jamie Blamire comes off.

47

David Hawkshaw steps up to take the penalty but pulls it wide and to the left.

42

A drop goal attempt by Tian Schoeman has been charged down.

40

The second half kicks off.

40

Connacht Rugby sub Leva Fifita comes onto the field.

40

Josh Murphy departs for Connacht Rugby.

40

The half-time whistle blows and both teams head for the dressing rooms.

37

David Hawkshaw does the business as their conversion attempt goes over.

36

What an effort there by Adam Byrne as they score the try.

36

Fabulous play by Connacht Rugby has led to Adam Byrne being able to wriggle through a gap.

36

That's a great try assist by Tiernan O'Halloran.

29

Trouble here as Shamus Hurley-Langton breaches the defence.

25

Tian Schoeman curls the ball too far, missing the posts to the right.

24

A wonderful passing move by Newcastle Falcons is finished off by Nathan Earle

24

Adam Radwan played a key part in that try.

19

Tian Schoeman does the business as their penalty goal attempt goes over.

14

A gap opened in the defence and Adam Radwan took full advantage.

12

A gap opened in the defence and Adam Byrne took full advantage.

10

A gap opened in the defence and Caolin Blade took full advantage.

3

David Hawkshaw has kicked a conversion.

3

Connacht Rugby are only a few metres out, surely they must score! And they do with Paul Boyle touching down.

2

The defensive line has been broken as Caolin Blade goes through the gap.

0

We are underway as the referee blows their whistle.

Match Stats

54%

Possession

46%

53%

Territory

47%

Metres

361

223

Carries

144

90

Clean Breaks

6

2

Defenders Beaten

23

8

Passes

167

145

Offloads

2

4

Penalties Conceded

8

11

Turnovers Conceded

13

13

120/128 94%

Tackles won

187/210 89%

1/4 25%

Scrums won

4/6 67%

11/14 79%

Lineouts won

13/15 87%

Action Areas

6.3%

4%

11.6%

10.5%

20.1%

17.1%

19.6%

10.8%

Player Stats

Connacht Rugby

MP

M

C

P

T

MT

TW

TC

DB

LW

TS

PTS

Peter Dooley

59

11

8

0

4

1

0

0

1

0

0

0

Dylan Tierney-Martin

59

6

7

0

9

0

0

0

0

6

0

0

Jack Aungier

59

14

10

1

9

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

Josh Murphy

40

0

1

1

7

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Niall Murray

80

6

7

3

10

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

Jarrad Butler

80

6

8

4

10

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

Shamus Hurley-Langton

64

14

9

1

13

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

Paul Boyle

80

20

11

4

11

0

0

0

0

0

1

5

Caolin Blade

69

52

7

85

2

1

0

0

3

0

0

0

David Hawkshaw

80

14

6

20

8

2

1

0

0

0

0

7

Diarmuid Kilgallen

80

36

9

3

2

0

0

0

2

0

1

5

Cathal Forde

63

31

10

4

6

1

0

0

1

0

0

0

Tom Daly

63

15

9

3

5

1

0

0

1

0

0

0

Adam Byrne

80

52

5

6

10

0

1

0

4

0

1

5

Tiernan O'Halloran

80

37

11

3

1

0

0

0

5

0

0

0

Shane Delahunt

21

10

3

3

1

0

0

0

0

5

0

0

Denis Buckley

21

2

2

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Sam Illo

21

2

1

1

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

Leva Fifita

40

13

12

3

5

1

0

0

1

0

0

0

Oisin McCormack

16

0

0

1

2

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

Colm Reilly

11

19

4

12

0

0

0

0

3

0

0

0

Conor Fitzgerald

17

0

2

7

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Tom Farrell

17

2

2

1

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

A brilliant individual effort from Adam Byrne, his first for the club, helped Connacht on their way to a Challenge Cup win over Newcastle Falcons at a freezing Sportsground this evening.

Tries from Byrne, Boyle and Kilgallen ensured a fourth win in five games heading into a crucial Christmas period.

Connacht started just the way they wanted and it was the Player of the Match from last week who carried on where he left off. Following an excellent break from the typically lively Caolin Blade, Paul Boyle showed enough power to touch down under the posts in the first few minutes.

However just like the Benetton game seven days earlier, and early Connacht try was then followed by sustained pressure from the opposition. A penalty on 18 minutes brought the teams to within four, and then the hosts took the lead for the first time seven minutes later after a cross-field kick was claimed with Newcastle playing with penalty advantage.

With Newcastle looking to go into the break with the lead, then came a moment of absolute brilliance from Adam Byrne was effectively ended up being the difference between the sides. Picking up the ball on half-way, the winger evaded two would-be tacklers to break the defensive line and touch down for his first try in the Connacht green, giving the hosts a 14-8 lead.

As the temperature plummeted in the second forty it came down to grit and determination to ensure the win. Connacht kept the visitors scoreless in the second half, continuing the excellent defensive performances of the past few months. Jarrad Butler and his troops dominated territory in the third quarter, and after just missing the final pace to get the third try, eventually Hawkshaw opted for the three points to stretch the lead to 17-8.

The win was then secured five minutes from time when, with more possession deep in the Newcastle half, a kick to the corner was brilliantly taken by Diarmuid Kilgallen, capping another fine performance for the winger.

It came too late to give the squad many opportunities to chase the fourth try and additional point, but Andy Friend and the coaching team will be happy to head to Brive with another win under the belt.