A massive boost for Connacht rugby

By JIM CARNEY FROM a dynamic display, but a 25-17 loss to top English Premiership club Harlequins first time out at The Stoop, Twickenham, the lionhearted men of Connacht got their due reward when the sides met in the return Heineken Cup fixture at Galway Sportsground last Friday evening. And in an electric atmosphere, Eric Elwood turned the tables on his former Lansdowne team-mate Conor O'Shea, the current 'Quins boss, by knocking his team out of the European Cup. It finished 9-8 to Connacht at College Road, Galway where a large attendance roared their heroes to a thrilling victory. The match wasn't a free-flowing 'classic' but it was tense, fiercely hard-fought and always exciting. The closing minutes, in particular, were nearly heart-stopping for the home followers. And also for the visiting fans, enthusiastically here for the weekend, but they could hardly have felt on the journey over that they'd lose this contest or that results elsewhere (including Gloucester 34 Toulouse 24) would conspire to make it a Cup K.O. The quarter-finals line-up (six Pool winners and two best runners-up) is: Leinster (holders) vs Cardiff Blues; Munster vs Ulster; Edinburgh vs Toulouse; Saracens vs Clermont. Connacht have their eagerly awaited first ever win in the greatest club rugby competition in the world, thanks to three first-half penalties by out-half Niall O'Connor, in reply to a Sam Smith try in the first half and a Nick Evans penalty in the second half. All the Connacht forwards covered themselves in glory with heroic tackling and covering, and with John Muldoon and Mike McCarthy particularly effective. The backs did their stuff too, even without the brilliant young centre Eoin Griffin, who is injured, and captain Gavin Duffy was an inspirational leader at full-back. It put a spectacular stop to Connacht's 14-match losing sequence in Cup and League, and comes as a massive boost. This sensational display by Eric Elwood's team was the talk of European rugby last weekend; Harlequins, a big club with a huge budget for players, were left shell-shocked. The Sportsground was a cauldron of atmosphere and sporting emotion. It was fantastic to have been there. When Connacht return to League action on Friday, February 10th, away to Cardiff Blues, it'll be very interesting to see if they recapture this sparkle and drive. Anything less would be hugely disappointing â€â€ that's when they must show this wasn't a flash in the pan. Yesterday (Tuesday), Connacht Branch Press officer Luke Murphy released information on how Connacht contracted the services of Great Britain Rugby League legend Mike Forshaw to shore up their defence systems. The former Wigan Warriors strength and conditioning coach has been widely praised for Connacht's high tackle count last Friday night. The starting pack made 110 tackles in the 80 minutes and the team had 235 defensive 'plays' â€â€ denying Harlequins space, territory and clean possession. Man of the Match John Muldoon epitomised Connacht's tenacity at the breakdown; the 29-year-old Portumna-born back-row forward displayed a dogged determination in the contact zone that helped secure Connacht's first win in their maiden Heineken Cup voyage. And while they have yet to turn performances into results in the RaboDirect PRO12, leaking tries has not been the major issue. They are level with leaders Leinster on the number of tries conceded (19). Connacht: Gavin Duffy, captain; Fetu'u Vainikolo, Kyle Tonetti, David McSharry, Tiernan O'Halloran; Niall O'Connor, Paul O'Donohoe; Brett Wilkinson, Adrian Flavin, Ronan Loughney; Michael Swift, Michael McCarthy; John Muldoon, Ray Ofisa, George Naoupu. Replacements: Ethienne Reynecke, Denis Buckley, Dylan Rogers, Mick Kearney, Eoin McKeon, Dave Moore, Miah Nikora, Henry Fa'afili. Harlequins: Mike Brown; Ugo Monye, Matt Hopper, Jordan Turner-Hall, Sam Smith; Nick Evans, Danny Care; Joe Marler, Brooker, James Johnston; Tomas Vallejos, George Robson; Maurie Fa'asavalu, Chris Robshaw, captain, Nick Easter. Replacements: Joe Gray, Lambert, Tom Fairbrother, Kohn, Luke Wallace, Richard Bolt, Rory Clegg, Tom Casson. Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales).