Good decision by Evans there I think. Oliver's height could have given him an out but as he pointed out there was no change in height, he was low from the outset.
Seems like the Lions having a player red carded has rattled Connacht more.
Really struggling against 14 here.
Great dive by joyce , Evans swallowed it nicely
Struggling to find words to describe how abject that first half was. Absolute drek. Unforced error after unforced error - needless penalties, kick off put dead, missed touch from a penalty. Got away with one there I think, Joyce was barely touched.
Played like they thought the extra man would win the game for them by itself. Lions have just upped the work rate.
Woeful 40 minutes. Lions looking very comfortable you wouldn't think they had 14. Utterly clueless by Connacht once again. All to do.
Thought Prendergast got away with one also for the try, surely he was part of the ruck?
What is Ralston doing there? The Lions had not 1 but 2 players up in the line. That pass should never have gone.
This is shocking. Against 14 and all.
Connacht playing tag here
That tackling is pathetic. Straight through the middle and straight through two tacklers.
Great broken field running from the Lions 13, but that's atrocious tackling from Connacht. Have they scored all four trys when down a man?
3 of the 4
Connacht are just all over the place tbh.
Embarrasing
Hockeyed by 14 men.
Lions playing great stuff to be fair to them
Chronic stuff.
Scrappy wins over rubbish teams have papered over the cracks this season, but we have been ruthlessly exposed today. Fair play to the Lions, they have comprehensively outclassed us away from home and down a man for the majority.
Thank goodness Lions haven't got all 15 on the field.
That's a paddlin
Pitiful.
Ralston has been beyond dire today and normally he's excellent.
Worst performance in many a year.
Not good. No brain up front porous in defence.
They would have targeted this game as a must win to qualify. At home to the Lions. Get the gift of an early red card. Instead they produce the worst performance of the season.
Wilkins should have never got the job. And he absolutely shouldn’t have gotten a three year contract as people said at the time. Unambitious appointment without any vision. Took the easy option and Connacht will pay for it.
Long way back from that for Wilkins.
Daft comments from a head coach. After today's performance, would Wilkins consider following Kilgallen to Munster as well? I wouldn't stand in his way.
The other results couldn't have gone any better for Connacht earlier today and it really opened the door for us but from the off we were completely dominated in all aspects.
I thought that once again we'd be bailed out by a red card for the opposition but the chickens came home to roost this evening. Lions were more than comfortable in all aspects of the game. They never really looked stretched while once again we looked like we rounded up 15 lads on the morning of the game.
I'm disappointed but not surprised. If I was Kilgallen I'd be thanking my lucky stars that I'm getting out of Connacht and any other player with irish ambitions should follow him if they don't want to waste the next two years of their career.
What a tremendous performance from the Gauteng Lions...full of guts and pride which could be seen in their defensive effort throughout - especially when down a man....the South African sides have been a superb addition to the league....such a breath of fresh air...
As for Connacht, absolutely pathetic showing. ...possibly would have gotten away with that shìte against the welsh or zebre...but ruthlessly and comprehensively exposed tonight....
Scott Fardy and Muldoon wont get a wink of sleep after that-not too mention Wilkins.....
Not just the worst performance of the season, but of the last three seasons. Clueless and spineless in a way. I've backed JJ's selection over Jack Carty this season based on his superior kicking, but today he had a shocker, as did Blade inside him, and the centres (particularly Hawkshaw) outside him. Only Smith of the backs selected had anything to offer. Those two break outs in the last 5mins, both bungled by there being either no support runners or the incorrect pass sent to the wrong support runner was sub-AIL. Awful stuff.
Only a win away to Benetton now will save our season. Jansen must be selected at 8, and we need to find room somewhere in the 23 for Butler's calmheadedness - none of which anyone showed today. Both Murrays were poor, but Niall maybe has enough credit in the bank to get selected in the 23.
Finally Aki and Bealham must play. No more fuckology about rest. Our season hinges on getting a result in Italy.
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