Connacht 34 Ospreys 26
A hat-trick of tries from skipper Caolin Blade helped Connacht bag maximum points in their opening URC fixture against the visiting Ospreys at the Sportsground.
Always in control, the home side built up a 27-5 lead with the Ospreys’ only score coming at the half-time whistle when left wing Keelin Giles found some rare space out wide.
Until then it was all Connacht with two opening JJ Hanrahan penalties, which preceded three tries from captain and scrumhalf Caolin Blade.
New signing Joe Joyce was an impressive presence in the pack to win the man of the match award, aided and abetted by Jarrad Butler, while in the backs Tom Farrell, celebrating his 100th cap, set up the opening try after 12 minutes.
Centre Cathal Forde exposed the visitors’ defence to set up Blade for his second after 24 minutes, and it was Joyce who supplied the scrumhalf for his hat-trick.
However, in a loose second half Ospreys were able to make headway when scrumhalf Reuben Morgan-Williams crossed, with replacement outhalf Jack Walsh converting.
Flanker James Ratti took advantage of a poor Connacht clearance to bag a second converted try, reducing the lead to eight after 55 minutes. Cue Cathal Forde, who cut through several would-be tacklers to bag the bonus point for the home side.
Ospreys’ lock Rhys Davies deservedly added a 76th minute try, with Jack Walsh adding the extras for a bonus point, but Connacht clung on for a deserved opening day bonus-point win.
SCORERS - Connacht: Tries: Blade 3, Forde; Cons: Hanrahan 4; Pens: Hanrahan 2. Ospreys: Tries: Giles, Morgan-Williams, Ratti, Davies; Cons: Walsh 3
CONNACHT: A Smith; D Kilgallen, T Farrell, C Forde, B Ralston; JJ Hanrahan, C Blade (capt); D Buckley, D Tierney-Martin, J Aungier; O Dowling, J Joyce; C Prendergast, S Hurley-Langton, J Butler.
Replacements: C Reilly for Blade, N Murray for Dowling, P Dooley for Buckley (all 53 mins); D Robertson-McCoy for Aungier (58); J Carty for Smith, T McElroy for Tierney-Martin, S O’Brien for Butler (all 63); L McNamara for Kilgallen (67); Smith for Carty (74).
OSPREYS: M Nagy; L Morgan, O Watkin, K Williams, K Giles; O Williams, R Morgan-Williams; G Phillips, E Lewis, T Botha; R Davies, W Griffiths; J Ratti, J Tuperic (capt), M Morris.
Replacements: J Walsh for K Williams, H Sutton for Griffiths, R Henry for Phillips (all 46 mins); D Morris for O Williams, B Warren for Botha, L Lloyd for Lewis (all 53), H Deaves for Ratti (58); L Davies for Giles (71).
Referee: F Vedovelli (Italy).
