Connacht held on to victory over Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship on Friday night, beating the struggling Welsh side 31-14.
Here are our five takeaways from the match:
The top line
It was a slow start to proceedings, with the first score coming after 15 minutes through Sean Jansen, crossing from close range off the back of a tap penalty.
The action came thick and fast from there, as a brilliant backs move ended with John Devine diving over in the corner. However, the try was soon ruled out, allowing the Scarlets a chance to claw their way back into the game. They thought they had done just that with a try of their own, but like Connacht’s earlier effort, it was chalked off after being deemed held up over the line.
The next confirmed try would once again come through Jansen, extending his team’s lead with a pick and go on the opposition’s goal line. The hosts’ dominance continued after the break, with Jack Aungier crashing over from close range.
Scarlets finally returned fire, scoring a terrific try down the right wing just minutes later, after Carwyn Leggatt-Jones collected his own clever chip over the top to set up Joe Roberts for the finish.
The comeback appeared to be on, and shortly afterwards, a Dupont-esque offload by Roberts sent Ioan Jones through a gap to step his way to the tryline.
Just as the tide appeared to be turning, the next try was for Connacht, securing their try bonus point.
Connacht would seal the game off with two more tries through Fiachna Barrett and Eoin de Buitléar, but not before the officials ruled out further tries for either side.
The crowd’s boos rang out after the hosts powered over from close range, but it was ruled out for not being grounded, and later Jack Davies would face the same punishment when his try was brought back for a clear forward pass in the build-up.
Connacht won the final scrum of the day, allowing them to boot the ball out and secure victory.
Contrast in playing styles
There was a clear contrast in the way these two teams played. Connacht were happy playing a powerful direct style that relied on their impressive forwards to carry up, whilst Scarlets were clearly more comfortable throwing the ball wide and looking to create gaps using their varied kicking tactics.
This led to a mistake-ridden performance from the Welsh side, often forcing plays which were not on, effectively returning the ball to their hosts.
Scarlets had the ball turned over a remarkable 11 times, which makes for concerning reading, particularly when comparing it to the solitary one turnover that they won.
All things being said, it was this expressive playing style that allowed them to get on the scoresheet twice. If they can minimise their mistakes, then they may have a solid base from which to work.
Solid Connacht defence
Connacht’s defence, particularly in the first half, was something to behold. They held a 95% tackle success rate after 50 minutes, reducing slightly to 92% by the end of the game. A reduction is always expected as players tire.
Scarlets, on the other hand, improved upon their halftime statistics, going from an 87% success rate to an impressive 91%, giving a real indication of their improved vitality and intensity in the second half.
What does it mean in real terms, though? It means that was all of the brilliance of the Scarlets’ attack, Stuart Lancaster’s Connacht were efficiently well drilled enough to force their visitors into conceding turnovers, simply because they needed to throw the extra offload, or make the extra kick, just to try and unlock the defence.
On the flip side, Connacht forced the Scarlets to make the tackles, but were relentless enough to ensure that although they weren’t always breaking the line, they would be on hand to keep pushing them back until they were forced to hold them up over the line.
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Set-piece struggles
For all Connacht’s brilliance in defence, their set-piece let them down. They won just 83% of their scrums and only 70% of their lineouts, whilst not even making a dent on Scarlets‘ set-piece.
Penalties and free kicks can be invaluable for any side, particularly when it comes to gaining control in a game, but when the set-piece is on the rocks, it can really affect the way in which a team chooses to play.
Connacht were fortunate that their defence restricted Scarlets any real control, but against better sides, they could be punished.
How it affected the table
Scarlets come away from the Dexcom Stadium no better than they arrived. Having picked up no league points during the game, they remain second from bottom in 15th place, just four points above the struggling Zebre.
Connacht, meanwhile, benefit from a five-point bonus victory, as they leapfrog Ospreys into ninth place, just behind the Bulls, who have a game in hand. They are set to host the Stormers in a South African clash on Saturday.
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