Cian Prendergast vows Connacht will fight to the finish despite URC playoff hopes fading
CONNACHT captain Cian Prendergast has vowed his side will keep fighting until the very end.
That's after their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the
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Connacht's hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the United Rugby Championship suffered a major blow with defeat to a Lions on Saturday
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Connacht captain Cian Prendergast says the Westerners will fight until the end
But with just five league wins all season, and having failed to pick up even a single point in Ellis Park after settling for two bonus points a week earlier in Cape Town, a frustrating campaign looks increasingly set to fall short.
The skipper said: 'I think this tour probably sums up how the season has been for us.
"We'll always battle for each other, we'll always battle for the coaching group that's here with us and look, it's just disappointing.
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'We didn't show the best side of ourselves and started too slow, the Lions are too good a side to give them that many opportunities.
'We probably weren't smart with the ball. It was like we know in the Highveld, you got to be smart with your energy and look.
"That was probably the biggest killer and then we're trying to force things in the second half and that's when they come alive.
"They've got electric pace in the backfield and it's too easy for them.'
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Interim head coach Cullie Tucker also admitted that they now face a tough climb if they are to rescue a top-half finish.
He added: 'The result is a big blow. We were aiming to get four or five points here and then we would be right back in the hunt.
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"Technically we are still in the running, but we're going to have to rely on other teams now as well,' he said.
Tucker and his management team will also have to deal with a mounting injury list when they return to Ireland.
While Connacht have had grievances over officiating in some matches this season, they could have few complaints about the result at Ellis Park — although the poor state of the famous stadium's pitch did neither team any favours.
For a long spell, it looked like Connacht might fail to score for the first time in three years.
But replacement hooker Eoin de Buitléar eventually crossed after one of the few clean moves Connacht managed to put together.
The Lions had controlled proceedings from the outset and could have been further ahead than 11-0 at half-time.
A series of backline injuries hampered Connacht even more after the break, and the Lions sealed the result with a try from flanker JC Pretorius after both sides had earlier efforts ruled out on review.
They capped the win late on when Edwill van der Merwe pounced on a turnover and hacked ahead to score.
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