Match Centre

Full Time

20 - 22

  • United Rugby Championship

  • Fri 23 Dec 2022 | 19:35

  • Dexcom Stadium

3
  • Blade 59'

  • Butler 78'

  • Byrne 84'

Tries

3
  • Lyttle 28'

  • Stewart 44'

  • Stewart 53'

1
  • Carty 34'

Penalties

1
  • Cooney 71'

1
  • Carty 78'

Conversions

2
  • Cooney 45'

  • Cooney 54'

0

Yellow Cards

1
  • Jones 76'

Denis

Buckley

1

Rory

Sutherland

Shane

Delahunt

2

Tom

Stewart

Finlay

Bealham

3

Marty

Moore

Josh

Murphy

4

Alan

O'Connor

Niall

Murray

5

Iain

Henderson

Oisin

Dowling

6

David

McCann

Conor

Oliver

7

Marcus

Rea

Cian

Prendergast

8

Nick

Timoney

Caolin

Blade

9

John

Cooney

Jack

Carty

10

Nathan

Doak

Mack

Hansen

11

Rob

Lyttle

Bundee

Aki

12

Stuart

McCloskey

Tom

Farrell

13

Luke

Marshall

John

Porch

14

Ethan

McIlroy

Tiernan

O'Halloran

15

Michael

Lowry

Replacements

Dave

Heffernan

16

John

Andrew

Peter

Dooley

17

Eric

O'Sullivan

Dominic

Robertson-McCoy

18

Gareth

Milasinovich

Shamus

Hurley-Langton

19

Sam

Carter

Jarrad

Butler

20

Greg

Jones

Kieran

Marmion

21

David

Shanahan

David

Hawkshaw

22

Jake

Flannery

Adam

Byrne

23

Stewart

Moore

85

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

85

Connacht Rugby go for goal with Jack Carty taking the conversion but their aim is not up to scratch as the ball slides to the left of the post.

84

The pressure has finally told as Adam Byrne scores from close range.

82

This is dangerous for the defence as Kieran Marmion bursts through to advance the Connacht Rugby attack.

81

David Shanahan comes on for Ulster Rugby.

81

John Cooney leaves the field.

81

Jake Flannery comes on for Ulster Rugby.

81

Luke Marshall leaves the field.

81

John Andrew comes on for Ulster Rugby.

81

Tom Stewart leaves the field.

78

Jack Carty has kicked a conversion.

78

Connacht Rugby are stopped just a few metres from the try line but Jarrad Butler picks up from the base of the ruck to score the try.

76

Greg Jones (Ulster Rugby) is shown a yellow card

71

John Cooney has kicked a penalty goal.

68

Connacht Rugby make a substitution with Dominic Robertson-McCoy coming on.

68

Connacht Rugby make a substitution with Finlay Bealham coming off.

68

Connacht Rugby make a substitution with Kieran Marmion coming on.

68

Connacht Rugby make a substitution with Caolin Blade coming off.

65

Ulster Rugby make a substitution with Eric O'Sullivan coming on.

65

Ulster Rugby make a substitution with Rory Sutherland coming off.

62

Connacht Rugby sub Finlay Bealham comes onto the field.

62

Dominic Robertson-McCoy departs for Connacht Rugby.

60

Connacht Rugby sub David Hawkshaw comes onto the field.

60

Bundee Aki departs for Connacht Rugby.

60

Jack Carty curls the ball too far, missing the posts to the left.

59

A stunning solo try from Caolin Blade

57

Greg Jones comes on for Ulster Rugby.

57

David McCann leaves the field.

54

Adam Byrne comes on.

54

Tiernan O'Halloran comes off.

54

The touch judges raise their flags as John Cooney kicks the conversion.

53

Nothing was going to stop Tom Stewart from scoring as they record the try for Ulster Rugby.

52

Sam Carter comes on.

52

Alan O'Connor comes off.

52

Dominic Robertson-McCoy comes on.

52

Finlay Bealham comes off.

52

Peter Dooley comes on.

52

Denis Buckley comes off.

51

Gareth Milasinovich comes on.

51

Marty Moore comes off.

51

Shamus Hurley-Langton comes on.

51

Conor Oliver comes off.

48

Connacht Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Dave Heffernan getting some game time.

48

Connacht Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Shane Delahunt being replaced.

48

Connacht Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Jarrad Butler getting some game time.

48

Connacht Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Josh Murphy being replaced.

45

John Cooney adds the two points for Ulster Rugby.

44

The Ulster Rugby maul march their way over the white wash for Tom Stewart to touch down.

40

The second half kicks off.

40

Ulster Rugby sub Stewart Moore comes onto the field.

40

Michael Lowry departs for Ulster Rugby.

40

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

34

The Connacht Rugby supporters go wild as Jack Carty successfully kicks the penalty goal.

30

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

28

Rob Lyttle gathers the kick to score the try for Ulster Rugby.

20

This is dangerous for the defence as Ethan McIlroy bursts through to advance the Ulster Rugby attack.

10

A gap opened in the defence and Tom Stewart took full advantage.

0

We are underway as the referee blows their whistle.

Match Stats

46%

Possession

54%

40%

Territory

60%

Metres

342

405

Carries

120

130

Clean Breaks

1

2

Defenders Beaten

19

20

Passes

155

147

Offloads

5

3

Penalties Conceded

8

13

Turnovers Conceded

15

12

174/194 90%

Tackles won

150/169 89%

6/10 60%

Scrums won

4/5 80%

15/16 94%

Lineouts won

16/17 94%

Action Areas

9.3%

2.8%

14.4%

7.5%

14%

18.5%

11%

22.5%

Player Stats

Connacht Rugby

MP

M

C

P

T

MT

TW

TC

DB

LW

TS

PTS

Denis Buckley

53

4

1

0

5

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Shane Delahunt

48

10

3

3

12

1

1

0

0

10

0

0

Finlay Bealham

59

0

1

1

10

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Josh Murphy

48

6

2

2

14

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Niall Murray

80

2

4

1

16

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

Oisin Dowling

80

0

5

3

14

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Conor Oliver

51

7

4

1

13

3

2

0

1

0

0

0

Cian Prendergast

80

2

3

4

17

1

2

0

1

0

0

0

Caolin Blade

69

7

2

54

4

1

0

0

2

0

1

5

Jack Carty

80

25

6

25

7

3

1

0

2

0

0

5

Mack Hansen

80

57

13

10

8

0

0

0

4

0

0

0

Bundee Aki

60

9

7

3

10

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

Tom Farrell

80

58

11

8

8

0

0

0

4

0

0

0

John Porch

80

23

7

1

6

3

0

0

2

0

0

0

Tiernan O'Halloran

54

31

9

2

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Dave Heffernan

32

12

9

2

6

0

0

0

0

5

0

0

Peter Dooley

27

15

6

2

4

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

Dominic Robertson-McCoy

21

18

7

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Shamus Hurley-Langton

29

4

4

3

9

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Jarrad Butler

32

8

6

2

7

0

0

0

0

0

1

5

Kieran Marmion

11

20

3

22

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

David Hawkshaw

20

8

4

5

1

1

0

0

1

0

0

0

Adam Byrne

26

18

3

1

1

3

0

0

2

0

1

5

LEINSTER 41-12 CONNACHT


Three tries in the final 12 minutes helped Leinster pull away for a deserved, if slightly flattering, 41-12 win over Connacht in their New Year's Day interpro at the RDS Arena.
 
The general consensus would be that Connacht needed to start the better on a day like this, but the opposite happened after just 2 minutes when Liam Turner crossed over for his first Leinster try, spotting a gap off a first phase strike-play from the hosts. However fans fearing the worst needn’t have worried as Andy Friend’s side slowly grew into the game, led by a dominant set-piece with brothers Niall and Darragh Murray causing havoc with the Leinster lineout.
 
A deserved lead for Connacht soon followed thanks to a wonderful piece of brilliance from the in-form David Hawkshaw, breaking the first line of defence and then the would-be tacklers to score beside the posts. Carty made no mistake and the visitors took a 7-5 lead into the second quarter.
 
The lead didn’t last too long as Leinster, with a penalty advantage in front of the Connacht posts, opted to turn down the easy three and kick for the corner. The decision paid off with Brian Deeny scoring at the base of the ruck, and then their lead was stretched further as Jordan Larmour scored Leinster’s third try, capitalising on a unlucky bounce deep in the Connacht 22.
 
A 12 point lead became 5 just before the interval, again thanks to a Connacht attack that was gaining metres inside the Leinster 22. In the end it was Tom Farrell crossing over, capping one of his strongest performances in the Connacht green.
 
Just like the first half it was the hosts that started the stronger, with Larmour crossing for his second try. The score remained at 24-12 for the majority of the second half, with Connacht keeping Leinster scoreless despite a 10 minute sinbinning for Jack Carty. The best chance of the half for the side came when a pass out wide released by Byron Ralston but he came up just short of the line, when a try would’ve put a score between the sides.
 
The final 12 minutes saw Leinster find an extra gear as they ran over three tries against a tiring 14 men, after Jarrad Butler came off injured and all the substitutions had been made.
 
Next up for Connacht is what’s being defined as a ‘season-defining’ game against the Cell C Sharks next Saturday at The Sportsground.