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Connacht and Ulster in straight scrap for Heineken Cup spot
Connacht and Ulster are left to focus on their battle for qualification
for next season’s Heineken Cup after both sides ended their European
campaigns with defeats over the weekend.
Connacht currently lead the northern province by four points, with Ulster
having a game in hand.
With Leinster and Munster’s places all but secured, the final spot
looks like a two-horse race between the strugglers.
Connacht needed a win at home to Brive to have any hope of qualifying
for the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup.
Playing against the strong breeze in the first half, Connacht only trailed
8-5 at the interval, Matt Mostyn touching down for the home side.
Unfortunately for Michael Bradley’s side, they failed to seize the
initiative after the break.
Brive inched their way up the pitch before replacement Jawad Djoudi went
over and the away side sealed the win when Suka Hufanga broke through
midfield for another converted try.
Conor McPhilips grabbed a consolation score for the hosts but Brive held
on to run out 22-15 winners.
Ulster were playing for nothing other than pride when they came up against
Gloucester at Kingsholm on Sunday.
Although bottom of Pool Two with just one victory to their name, the Northerners
produced a gutsy performance and can consider themselves unlucky not to
take anything from the game.
Gloucester opened the scoring after 18 minutes when Akapusi Quera stole
in past a dawdling Ulster defence.
However the away side were back on level terms within two minutes, Tommy
Bowe sprinting through after a neat lay-off from Isaac Boss.
Gloucester got their noses back in front just before the break, Alasdair
Strokosch bundling over from close range but Ulster quickly levelled after
the break through Andrew Trimble.
It stayed level until the hour when Quera grabbed his second try, touching
down unopposed in the corner.
And Gloucester had a fourth try to celebrate when Iain Balshaw scored
to secure the bonus point.
Bowe responded with his second try of the day before Luke Narroway secured
a home quarter-final late on, going to over to secure a 29-21 win. |
