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Brive were the last French team to win a Challenge Cup pool match at the Sportsground when they ran off with a 22-15 win in 2008 to complete the double over their Irish hosts. - 20/11/2015 09:39
Brive were the last French team to win a Challenge Cup pool match at the Sportsground when they ran off with a 22-15 win in 2008 to complete the double over their Irish hosts.
But since then Pat Lam’s side have only lost once in seven outings against French opposition in Galway and it took the full might of Jonny Wilkinson’s RC Toulon team to achieve that in the 2010 semi-final.
So, even though they kicked-off their Pool 1 campaign with a home win over Newcastle Falcons, the Top 14 outfit will know they will have to be at their best to repeat their heroics of seven years ago if they are to become the first team to win on the west coast of Ireland this season.
Connacht came into their Challenge Cup campaign with five home wins behind them in the Guinness PRO12 – a run that took them to the top of the table. They were then plunged into a trip into the unknown to play Enisei-STM in Krasnoyarsk.
They managed to pick up a bonus point win, 31-14, despite the -20 degree temperatures at the Siberian venue, but they then struggled with their return journey. Problems with their charter plane, missed flights and visas meant they didn’t get everyone home until Tuesday instead of Saturday night.
“It was a great trip until we were able to get home. We should have been in on Saturday night, but then the problems started,” admitted Connacht head coach Lam
“It was -30 degrees when we had to get off the charter plane on Saturday night. We had to go back to our original hotel and split the group up.
“One group went via Amsterdam, one via Paris and another via London. It has been a bit like a game – things
happen and we just had to adjust.
“It became a long, long journey home, but the whole trip was fantastic. It turned into a mental challenge and we were all under the pump.
“It shortened our preparation for Brive, but there are some things you simply can’t control. We just had to get on with it. I changed the training schedule for this week four times and it meant we only got one run out before facing Brive.”
Brive’s form on the road in Europe is not great and they have lost their last and, while their 13-9 round one triumph over the Falcons ended a run of seven straight defeats in all games, they have lost their last four Challenge Cup games on the road.
Match Facts
- Brive have won both of the two games previously played between these sides in the Challenge Cup though they’ve both been low scoring affairs with the combined score line reading 37-21 in favour of Brive.
- Brive’s only other game against an Irish team in the Challenge Cup was in the 2011 quarter final when the lost to Munster Rugby (42-37).
- Connacht have won 11 of their last 12 matches against French opposition and are undefeated in their last six such matches.
- The last time Connacht lost consecutive home games in the Challenge Cup was their opening home pool match of the 2008/09 tournament.
- A loss for Brive would be their fifth consecutive defeat away from home, setting a new club record within the Challenge Cup.
Face à des Irlandais fébriles
Connacht Rugby made it two from two and took early control of Pool 1 with a hard earned 21-17 victory over a battling Brive team at The Sportsground – the Irish team the ones on the defensive in a tense and tight finish as they narrowly missed out on a try bonus point.
Both teams opened their season's challenges with Round 1 wins – Brive over Newcastle Falcons – but this win leaves Connacht at the head of the group ahead of their back-to-back contests against the Falcons next month.
Brive missed two chances of opening the scoring through the boot of Romain Sola, the outside half sending both wide of the mark, but they did take the lead after 28 minutes on their way to a losing bonus point when hooker Thomas Acquier was the one to break the deadlock with a try as he was mauled over the home line following a line-out.
Outside half Jack Carty cut the deficit with a 33rd minute penalty as Connacht proceeded to rattle up 11 points in eight whirlwind minutes at the end of a tight first half.
Carty was at it again with a cross-field kick that Tiernan O'Halloran was on hand to tap it back to centre Rory Parata for his second try in seven days.
He had also got on the scoresheet when Connacht were plunged into a trip into the unknown to play Enisei-STM in Krasnoyarsk.
Parata contributed to the bonus point 31-14 win – despite the -20 degree temperatures at the Siberian venue – but they then struggled with their return journey. Problems with their charter plane, missed flights and visas meant they didn't get everyone home until Tuesday instead of Saturday night.
That was all forgotten as Carty added the conversion to Parata’s score and there was more success with the ball in hand four minutes after the restart from an attacking scrum.
Connacht went through phase after phase in Brive 22 and for back rower Ben Marshall to go over but Brive pulled themselves right back into the contest with their second try created by outside half Matthieu Ugalde and finished off by wing Benito Masilevu.
With the points coming thick and fast superb team work with Robbie Henshaw prominent ended with scrum half Kieran Marmion profiting for an 11-points lead in a tight affair.
That rush of points did however dry up – until Brive replacement Sevanaia Galala went over from a line-out maul and fellow replacement Teddy Iribaren added the conversion to set up a tense final few minutes
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