URC: Five-try Connacht ease to 31-7 win over Dragons

The Rodney Parade club were always going to find it tough to repeat their 2021 win at the Sportsground but the manner of the defeat was galling in Galway.

They had their chances in the first half but were blunt in attack and Connacht showed a clinical edge to lead 19-0 thanks to tries by back row forwards Paul Boyle and Cian Prendergast either side of scrum-half Caolin Blade’s effort.

The second half was an error-strewn, stop-start and frankly low-quality encounter before Connacht got their bonus point in the 74th minute through centre Cathal Forde.

The only slight positive for the Dragons was that they avoided being nilled for the eighth time in their history courtesy of flanker Taine Basham’s powerful finish, a try that was followed by an interception score by Matthew Devine for the hosts’ fifth.

Connacht could chalk up the five match points and forget about a drab game but Dai Flanagan’s men must now stew on this pointless and poor performance for a month until they head to Cardiff after the autumn internationals.

HIT: Ewan Rosser of the Dragons is tackled by Piers O’Conor of Connacht (Image: Michael P Ryan/Huw Evans Agency)

Teams need to bring their A game to win in Galway but the Dragons were much further along the alphabet, with fit-again Wales star Aaron Wainwright unable to have an impact when looking understandably rusty.

There was plenty of endeavour but they racked up the mistakes, looked ragged and lost their way in attack.

Connacht were certainly not at their best but comfortably won and that means the Dragons finish the first block in familiar territory in the URC table with Zebre Parma their bedfellows at the bottom.

They need big performances in three derby games in the next block of games if they are to threaten to change that.

The Dragons were forced into a change to their planned line-up with Brodie Coghlan coming in at hooker for Oli Burrows, with stalwart James Benjamin coming onto the bench.

Connacht were on the front foot from the off and, after a line break and a knock-on in the 22, earned a scrum penalty that was kicked to the corner.

The drive was stopped but they hammered away for back rower Boyle to power over in the seventh minute.

The Dragons had their chances to respond to being down 7-0 but a botched lineout and a wasted attack in the 22 meant they failed to chip away.

They paid the price for that when their hosts showed a clinical edge to score a lovely team try, with Blade going over from star centre Bundee Aki’s offload.

Connacht conceded a penalty from the restart but once again the Dragons failed to strike after kicking to the corner, with the turnover coming when they failed to heed the warning to use the ball from a drive that had been stopped.

The pattern kept repeating with another penalty kicked to the corner in the 29th minute only for the drive to be stopped before Connacht tighthead Finlay Bealham clamped onto the ball to earn an escape.

The errors racked up from both sides but the hosts stretched away with what proved to be the last action of the half, blindside Prendergast powering through a poor tackle by Dane Blacker to make it 19-0.

BREAK: Rio Dyer on the run for the Dragons (Image: Michael P Ryan/Huw Evans Agency)

It was the scrum-half’s last act with head coach Dai Flanagan bringing on Wales hopeful Rhodri Williams at the break along with loosehead Aki Seiuli.

The ramped up the pressure with hard carrying but Connacht held strong and once again escaped thanks to a timely turnover by Aki.

Play was almost exclusively in the home half but it remained 19-0 after an hour, with a faltering lineout preventing the Dragons from closing the gap.

Connacht had a chance to clinch their bonus in the 69th minute but the visitors’ lineout defence came up with the good to secure a turnover and frustrate the Irish province.

However, they got their bonus point in the 74th minute when replacement scrum-half Matthew Devine put Forde over.

Game well and truly over, a beautiful 50:22 by Angus O’Brien gave the Dragons a shot at least getting off 0.

The drive was stopped but Basham showed wonderful power to blast over for his fourth of the season.

However, the final say went to Devine when he picked off a Rhodri Williams pass to race away with the clock in the red.

Connacht scorers: tries – Boyle, Blade, Prendergast, Forde, Devine; conversions – Forde (3).

Dragons: C Evans; Dyer, Westwood (Wilson 65), Owen, E Rosser; O’Brien, Blacker (R Williams 40); C Jones (Seiuli 40), Coghlan (Benjamin 52), Coleman (Yendle 56), Carter (captain), Screech (Cummins 65), Lewis-Hughes, Keddie, Wainwright (Basham 49).

Scorers: try – Basham; conversion – O’Brien.