Match Centre

Full Time

41 - 26

United Rugby Championship
Sat 25 Mar 2023 | 15:00
Dexcom Stadium

Forde 7'
Oliver 20'
Blade 39'
Butler 44'
Blade 61'
Blade 63'

Tries

Atalifo 33'
Mata 46'
Young 51'
Kinghorn 77'

Hawkshaw 16'

Penalties

Hawkshaw 21'
Hawkshaw 44'
Daly 61'
Daly 64'

Conversions

Boffelli 34'
Boffelli 47'
Boffelli 77'

Oliver 47'
Dowling 54'

Yellow Cards

Boffelli 58'

Peter

Dooley

Boan

Venter

Dylan

Tierney-Martin

Stuart

McInally

Jack

Aungier

Lee-Roy

Atalifo

Oisin

Dowling

Sam

Skinner

Niall

Murray

Grant

Gilchrist

Cian

Prendergast

Ben

Muncaster

Conor

Oliver

Connor

Boyle

Jarrad

Butler

Viliame

Mata

Caolin

Blade

Henry

Pyrgos

David

Hawkshaw

Blair

Kinghorn

John

Porch

Damien

Hoyland

Cathal

Forde

James

Lang

Tom

Farrell

Mark

Bennett

Diarmuid

Kilgallen

Darcy

Graham

Oran

McNulty

Emiliano

Boffelli

Replacements

Dave

Heffernan

Dave

Cherry

Jordan

Duggan

Luan

de Bruin

Dominic

Robertson-McCoy

Nel

Darragh

Murray

Marshall

Sykes

Shamus

Hurley-Langton

Glen

Young

Kieran

Marmion

Ben

Vellacott

Tom

Daly

Chris

Dean

Shane

Jennings

Nathan

Sweeney

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

Emiliano Boffelli has kicked a conversion.

Blair Kinghorn goes on their own for a try.

This is dangerous for the defence as Viliame Mata bursts through to advance the Edinburgh Rugby attack.

Connacht Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Peter Dooley getting some game time.

Connacht Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Jordan Duggan being replaced.

A gap opened in the defence and Darcy Graham took full advantage.

Connacht Rugby make a substitution with Kieran Marmion coming on.

Connacht Rugby make a substitution with Caolin Blade coming off.

A gap opened in the defence and Darcy Graham took full advantage.

The Connacht Rugby supporters go wild as Tom Daly successfully kicks the conversion.

A stunning solo try from Caolin Blade

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

Edinburgh Rugby sub Marshall Sykes comes onto the field.

Sam Skinner departs for Edinburgh Rugby.

Edinburgh Rugby sub Glen Young comes onto the field.

Marshall Sykes departs for Edinburgh Rugby.

Edinburgh Rugby sub Chris Dean comes onto the field.

James Lang departs for Edinburgh Rugby.

Edinburgh Rugby sub Nathan Sweeney comes onto the field.

Damien Hoyland departs for Edinburgh Rugby.

The Connacht Rugby supporters go wild as Tom Daly successfully kicks the conversion.

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

Edinburgh Rugby sub Luan de Bruin comes onto the field.

Boan Venter departs for Edinburgh Rugby.

Edinburgh Rugby sub Ben Vellacott comes onto the field.

Henry Pyrgos departs for Edinburgh Rugby.

Connacht Rugby sub Tom Daly comes onto the field.

David Hawkshaw departs for Connacht Rugby.

The defensive line has been broken as Tom Farrell goes through the gap.

Emiliano Boffelli (Edinburgh Rugby) is shown a yellow card

Jordan Duggan comes on for Connacht Rugby.

Peter Dooley leaves the field.

Shamus Hurley-Langton comes on for Connacht Rugby.

Jarrad Butler leaves the field.

Marshall Sykes comes on.

Glen Young comes off.

Dave Cherry comes on.

Stuart McInally comes off.

Dave Heffernan comes on.

Dylan Tierney-Martin comes off.

Oisin Dowling (Connacht Rugby) is shown a yellow card

Dominic Robertson-McCoy comes on.

Jack Aungier comes off.

Darragh Murray comes on.

Niall Murray comes off.

Emiliano Boffelli has hooked the conversion to the left of the posts.

Nothing was going to stop Glen Young from scoring as they record the try for Edinburgh Rugby.

Connacht Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Shane Jennings getting some game time.

Connacht Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Diarmuid Kilgallen being replaced.

Edinburgh Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Glen Young getting some game time.

Edinburgh Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Ben Muncaster being replaced.

Emiliano Boffelli adds the two points for Edinburgh Rugby.

Conor Oliver (Connacht Rugby) is shown a yellow card

Slick passing by Edinburgh Rugby leads to a try for Viliame Mata.

Spellbinding play by Henry Pyrgos is finished off with a try.

Mark Bennett makes the break as the defence re-enacts the parting of the red sea.

David Hawkshaw adds the two points for Connacht Rugby.

The defence are desperately trying to hold out here but it was to no avail as Jarrad Butler dots the ball down from close range.

Spellbinding play by Jack Aungier is finished off with a try.

The second half kicks off.

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

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

An interception for Connacht Rugby allows Caolin Blade to race clear for the try.

Fabulous play by Connacht Rugby has led to Caolin Blade being able to wriggle through a gap.

Edinburgh Rugby sub WP Nel comes onto the field.

Lee-Roy Atalifo departs for Edinburgh Rugby.

Emiliano Boffelli does the business as their conversion attempt goes over.

The pick and go results in a try for Edinburgh Rugby as Lee-Roy Atalifo goes over.

David Hawkshaw makes no mistake with that conversion attempt.

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

David Hawkshaw does the business as their penalty goal attempt goes over.

David Hawkshaw has hooked the conversion to the left of the posts.

A stunning solo try from Cathal Forde

The defensive line has been broken as Cathal Forde goes through the gap.

That's a great try assist by Caolin Blade.

We are underway as the referee blows their whistle.

Match Stats

42%

Possession

58%

33%

Territory

67%

Metres

421

578

Carries

157

Clean Breaks

Defenders Beaten

Passes

238

Offloads

Penalties Conceded

Turnovers Conceded

199/231 86%

Tackles won

85/102 83%

7/9 78%

Scrums won

3/4 75%

8/9 89%

Lineouts won

16/17 94%

Action Areas

5.2%

3.4%

9.1%

9.3%

31.5%

11.9%

22.5%

Player Stats

Connacht Rugby	MP	M	C	P	T	MT	TW	TC	DB	LW	TS	PTS
Peter Dooley	65	0	4	1	11	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dylan Tierney-Martin	55	6	3	0	10	3	0	0	0	4	0	0
Jack Aungier	55	10	4	1	18	0	1	0	1	0	0	0
Oisin Dowling	70	4	5	2	10	2	1	0	0	0	0	0
Niall Murray	55	1	1	1	12	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cian Prendergast	80	17	7	4	16	1	1	0	1	0	0	0
Conor Oliver	69	14	6	3	14	4	0	0	0	0	1	5
Jarrad Butler	59	24	5	1	17	1	0	0	0	0	1	5
Caolin Blade	68	110	8	34	3	0	1	0	2	0	3	15
David Hawkshaw	61	14	1	1	8	1	0	0	0	0	0	7
John Porch	80	29	4	4	7	1	0	0	2	0	0	0
Cathal Forde	80	80	10	3	10	5	1	1	4	0	1	5
Tom Farrell	80	22	3	3	15	3	0	0	5	0	0	0
Diarmuid Kilgallen	49	27	2	1	6	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
Oran McNulty	80	29	3	2	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
Dave Heffernan	26	5	3	1	7	0	0	0	0	4	0	0
Jordan Duggan	16	1	1	1	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dominic Robertson-McCoy	26	0	0	0	5	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Darragh Murray	26	0	2	1	10	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Shamus Hurley-Langton	22	6	2	0	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kieran Marmion	13	1	2	11	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Tom Daly	20	9	2	4	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	4
Shane Jennings	32	14	3	0	6	0	1	0	1	0	0	0

CONNACHT 41-26 EDINBURGH

Connacht made it 5 URC wins in a row – and 9 wins from 12 in all competitions – with an outstanding bonus point win over Edinburgh at The Sportsground this afternoon.

It was a perfect afternoon of rugby at Connacht HQ, with the 6,056 supporters treated to a rare afternoon of sunshine and a six-try display by Andy Friend’s side. The result puts Connacht in pole position for a playoff spot which could be secured at home to Cardiff in 3 weeks’ time.

Without the likes of Mack Hansen, Jack Carty, Finlay Bealham and Bundee Aki, it was a game in which Connacht’s young-guns stood up, with the likes of Cathal Forde, Oran McNulty and Shane Jennings all putting in strong performances.

Connacht went into the break 20-7 in front, which was built on a brilliant defensive performance with Edinburgh dominated possession and territory. A stunning solo effort from Cathal Forde set the tone for the rest of the day, with the Corinthians clubman breaking the Edinburgh defensive line on their 10’ to finish in the corner.

By the end of the 1^st quarter Connacht led 15-0, with David Hawkshaw slotting over a penalty and the excellent Conor Oliver powering over for the second of the day. Edinburgh finally broke through for their first score on 33 minutes, but one of the key moments arrived just before half-time. With Edinburgh banging down the door, man-of-the-match Caolin Blade claimed the intercept for a 14 point swing, touching down for try number 3.

Third quarters have proved challenging for Connacht in recent games, so the supporters in attendance would’ve been particularly happy by a try from Jarrad Butler, and Connacht’s bonus, which came just minutes into the second half, stretching the lead to 20 points. However that marked the start of a significant period of dominance for the visitors who scored 12 unanswered points, coupled with two yellow cards for Connacht with Conor Oliver and Oisin Dowling both spending 10 minutes in the bin. Connacht’s defensive performance with those 13 men arguably was the winning of the game, and Oliver’s return came at the same time Edinburgh had a man in the bin themselves, meaning 13 v 15 became 14 v 14.

Blade’s second and third try soon followed, his third the pick of the bunch after brilliant work from Shane Jennings, and the game went beyond doubt.

Results elsewhere capped off a brilliant day for the province, who jump from 9^th to 6^th place and well in the hunt for both the playoffs and Champions Cup rugby next season with just two games to go.