Connacht 40

Racing 92 43

By JOHN FALLON AT DEXCOM STADIUM

ANOTHER period of turmoil for Connacht with confirmation in midweek that head coach Pete Wilkins, on sick leave for the past four games, is to depart with over a year to run on his contract, while on the field their season is petering out despite having assembled their best squad ever.

The magnitude of this Challenge Cup quarter-final loss is hard to fully assess but instead of the hype of a winnable home semi-final against Lyon and a possible first ever appearance in a European final ahead of the completion of the €40m redevelopment of the Sportsground, they are facing an uphill battle to make the knockout stages of the URC where three of their four remaining games are away from home.

And it could have been so different had they now blown this opportunity when they led 21-5 after 13 minutes and the Parisians had try-scorer Wame Naituvi sent off for a high hit on winger Finn Treacy.

In fairness, the loss of Treacy in that incident, then his replacement Josh Ioane little more than a minute later and centre Hugh Gavin at half-time, did little to help the cause, but basic handling errors and inaccurate play really undermined their challenge on a frustrating night when the Racing pack and half-backs Dan Lancaster and Nolann le Garrec bossed matters.

“They went back to their power game and were very well steered by their half-backs, who were excellent, and then they bring Owen Farrell off the bench as well,” said interim Connacht head coach Cullie Tucker, who is now going to remain in charge until the end of the season.

“It told in the end but we were right in it at the end, three points, proud of that but too inaccurate in the second half. We got a lot of knocks and had to adapt. They kept scoreboard pressure.

“We lost the ball at the ruck numerous times, we had a key lineout just outside their 22 as well. The control elements of our game at times in that period didn’t stand up for us and that’s what cost us building pressure.

“It wasn’t actually that we didn’t know how to do it, it was just we were inaccurate in our game unfortunately.”

Connacht have four games left in the URC, three of them away from home, with a clash against the Stormers in Cape Town next Saturday being followed by a visit to the Lions in Johannesburg. Their final home game will be against Edinburgh before travelling to face Zebre.

But they could struggle to pick themselves up after this devastating loss. Connacht dominated the opening half but had to be content with a 28-24 lead despite playing with an extra man from the 13th minute.

Referee Christophe Ridley awarded a penalty try in the Treacy incident which pushed Connacht 21-5 in front, but they were outscored 19-7 from there to the break by a Racing side playing against the breeze.

Connacht laid out their intentions early on, going for the corner with a penalty on the 22 after less than a minute and while that attack was held up illegally, they tapped the next penalty and Finlay Bealham fed Bundee Aki who got through a double tackle to score, with JJ Hanrahan converting for the perfect start.

But Racing hit back after six minutes with Lancaster — with dad Stuart, the former Racing and Leinster coach in the stand — threaded a ball through which Naituvi beat Mack Hansen to for a try.

Hansen and Aki were heavily involved in a fine move which ended with skipper Cian Prendergast scoring his first try, while the penalty try and Naituvi’s dismissal should have seen Connacht pull away.

But Racing, holding an edge up front, hit back and hooker Diego Escobar scored from a lineout maul down the right at the end of the opening quarter.

Aki knocked on in the tackle a couple of metres short of the line and then Racing struck from deep with Lancaster breaking and his grubber caused mayhem with scrum-half Le Garrec pouncing through three defenders to score a converted try that cut the gap to 21-17.

Connacht responded and were rewarded for targeting the Racing left wing, with Prendergast was sent through for his second try which Hanrahan converted from the right for 28-17 after half an hour.

But once again Connacht conceded, again off a lineout maul with centre Josua Tuisova scoring and Lancaster converting to cut the gap to 28-24 at the interval.

Lancaster reduced the margin with a penalty two minutes after the restart but was then short with another effort from 45 metres a couple of minutes later.

Racing then brought in Owen Farrell — dad Andy was also in the stand — for Lancaster and with the Racing pack taking control, even scrummaging with just seven men, the visitors pulled away.

French tighthead Demba Bamba did the hard yards for Le Garrec to get in for his second try which he also converted and then Farrell landed a drop goal off the right post to lead 37-28 after 54 minutes. Two more penalties from Le Garrec pushed the lead out to 15 points with as many minutes remaining.

Ben Murphy broke to score unconverted try seven minutes from time, while Racing finished the game with 13 men when Farrell was binned for a dangerous clearout on Connacht winger Shane Jennings.

Paul Boyle set Cathal Forde up for a try a minute from the end which Hanrahan converted to reduce the margin to three points but Connacht were unable to manufacture a match-winner in the final play.

Connacht: M Hansen, S Jennings, H Gavin (M Devine 42), B Aki, F Treacy (J Ioane 14, C Forde 15), JJ Hanrahan, B Murphy, D Buckley (P Dooley 45), D Heffernan (D Tierney-Martin 56), F Bealham (J Aungier 56), J Murphy, J Joyce (O Dowling 45), C Prendergast (c), S Hurley-Langton (P Boyle 63), S Jansen.

Racing 92: S James, W Naituvi, V Habosi, J Tuisova (H Chavancy 51), M Spring (c) (D Taofifenua 70); D Lancaster (O Farrell 47), N le Garrec; E Ben Arous, D Escobar (R Couly 31-40, 69), D Bamba (L Leota 63); B Palu, W Rowlands (S Manyarara 63, 6); M Baudonne, J Kpoku, J Joseph.

Referee: C Ridley (England).

Pictured: Connacht’s Denis Buckley leading this charge against Racing 92 during the European Challenge Cup quarter-final at Dexcom Stadium last Saturday. Inset: departing Head Coach Pete Wilkins.