Connacht's season continues to peter out as Edinburgh keep play-off hopes alive

The 42

10-05-2025

Connacht 21
Edinburgh 31
John Fallon reports from Dexcom Stadium
CONNACHT FELL TO a fifth successive URC defeat while Edinburgh kept their season alive by securing a bonus point win at Dexcom Stadium.
It was a frustrating final home game of the season which in many ways summed up Connacht's campaign as they failed to make the most of opportunities while simultaneously leaking soft tries.
Connacht knew beforehand that results elsewhere this weekend meant they could not qualify for the knockout stages of the URC or next season's Champions Cup, but Edinburgh still had a lot to play for as they remained in contention.
A warm, sunny evening added to the end-of-season feel to the encounter on a night when Bundee Aki made his 150th appearance for Connacht, crowning a week in which he was named as a Lion for the second time.
Advertisement
But it was the other Lion on the field, Edinburgh's loosehead Pierre Schoeman, who made the first mark when he drove over beside the posts after the Scots had walked their way down the field with three lineout penalties in a row. Ross Thompson added the conversion to make it 7-0 after eight minutes.
Connacht enjoyed plenty of possession after that but sloppy handling proved costly and when they finally got in through skipper Cian Prendergast after 19 minutes, the try was scratched off after a review spotted crossing from Sean Jansen in the build-up.
Edinburgh then doubled their lead after 27 minutes when winger Jack Brown put Hamish Watson away down the left and he dummied fullback Santiago Cordero to score in the corner. Thompson, who displayed an array of skills at out-half including one audacious flick-up when Cordero chipped, landed the difficult conversion from the left to make it 14-0.
Connacht hit back after the restart and a superb break by Shayne Bolton set up the opportunity from which Finn Treacy ran in to score a try converted by JJ Hanrahan.
Treacy followed up with a second try 10 minutes later when he ran a superb line to take a pop pass from scrum-half Ben Murphy, with Hanrahan again converting to tie the game at 14-14.
Ben Muncaster drove over to make it 21-14 for Edinburgh after 57 minutes but Connacht hit back and, after a good counter-kick from fullback Cordero, the Argentine international — who is departing in a couple of weeks — then delivered the final pass for Shayne Bolton to get over in the right-hand corner. Hanrahan, another who is departing, landed a brilliant conversion from the right wing to tie the game again at 21-21 with 15 minutes left.
But with the game hanging in the balance, it was Edinburgh who seized the moment when replacement scrum-half Charlie Shiel broke from deep to score under the posts.
The visitors made the game safe when Ben Healy landed a 40-metre penalty at the death.
Scorers: Connacht: Tries: F Treacy (2), S Bolton. Cons: JJ Hanrahan (3 from 3).
Edinburgh: Tries: P Schoeman, H Watson, B Muncaster, C Shiel. Cons: R Thompson (3 from 3), Ben Healy (1 from 1). Pen: Healy (1 from 1).
CONNACHT: Santiago Cordero; Shayne Bolton, Hugh Gavin (David Hawkshaw half-time), Bundee Aki, Finn Treacy; JJ Hanrahan, Ben Murphy (Caolin Blade 65); Denis Buckley (Peter Dooley 61), Dave Heffernan (Dylan Tierney-Martin 62), Finlay Bealham (Jack Aungier 62); Josh Murphy, Darragh Murray (Oisin Dowling 54-68); Cian Prendergast (c), Conor Oliver, Sean Jansen (Paul Boyle 54).
EDINBURGH: Wes Goosen; Darcy Graham, Matt Currie, Mosese Tuipulotu (Findlay Thomson 56), Jack Brown; Ross Thompson (Ben Healy 73), Ali Price (Charlie Shiel 68); Pierre Schoeman (Boan Venter 62), Ewan Ashman (Paddy Harrison 64), D'arcy Rae (Javan Sebastian 50); Marshall Sykes (Glen Young 72), Sam Skinner; Ben Muncaster (Liam McConnell 74), Hamish Watson, Magnus Bradbury (c).
Referee: Ben Breakspear (Wales).