Season 2014–15 Connacht Rugby season

1 season

1.1 background
1.2 september
1.3 october
1.4 november
1.5 december
1.6 january
1.7 february
1.8 march
1.9 april
1.10 may

season
background

the 2014–15 season saw heineken cup replaced 20 team rugby champions cup , creation of competition meant pro12 standings have greater impact on european qualification. under previous format, pro12 provided minimum of ten teams, scotland , italy providing 2 teams each, , ireland , wales both providing three.

the new system saw 1 place being reserved highest finishing pro12 team each of 4 participating countries, along 3 other qualifiers based solely on league position, total of 7 teams. other teams entered in new second tier competition, rugby challenge cup. meant connacht no longer required finish ahead of irish province or rely on irish victory in european tournament qualify top tier of european rugby.

the final tournament spot in 2015–16 rugby champions cup decided playoff involving pro12 s highest finishing team not qualified, along seventh highest finishing clubs france s top 14 , english premiership.

on player front, connacht entered season new captain following forced retirement of craig clarke due persistent concussions. without playing services of former captain , centurion gavin duffy, contract not renewed previous season. later announced taking role province s commercial team.

due 10th-place finish in 2013–14 pro12, connacht entered 2014–15 rugby challenge cup, replaced european challenge cup, competition connacht hadn t competed in since 2010–11 season. draw challenge cup pool stages took place on 10 june 2014, connacht named in same group exeter chiefs, bayonne , la rochelle.

september

connacht opened season victories @ home against newport gwent dragons , away edinburgh. team beat provincial rivals leinster @ home, 10–9 win giving connacht first inter-provincial victory since beating leinster in same fixture in 2012–13 season. connacht experienced first defeat of season in next round, losing glasgow warriors in final game of month.

october

following opening defeat of season glasgow, connacht opened month of october draw @ home cardiff blues following week, able return winning ways before first break european matches, beating benetton treviso 6–9 in italy. connacht opened 2014–15 challenge cup campaign @ sportsgrounds on 18 october 48–12 bonus point victory on top 14 side la rochelle. following week, however, saw province beaten 33–13 away exeter chiefs. connacht s first game after european break saw them beaten 26–11 in wales ospreys on halloween night.

november

a break in league november internationals meant connacht didn t play competitive match in month until 21 november. when returned action, connacht picked comfortable bonus point victory on zebre @ home, posting final score of 43–3. team followed 14–8 win against 6th place rivals scarlets @ sportsgrounds keep unbeaten home record intact.

december

connacht opened month of december crucial double-header against bayonne in challenge cup, , won first of these games comfortably, picking bonus point in 42–19 victory narrow gap exeter chiefs. connacht named entirely new team return leg, , despite being 11 points down in second half, team fought win 27–29, academy scrum-half caolin blade scoring both tries.

after 2 european matches, connacht finished 2015 2 provincial derbies in row on christmas period. connacht lost first of these matches against leinster in dublin. loss followed narrow away defeat ulster on st. stephen s day in last match of calendar year.

january

on new year s day, connacht picked had left off in 2014, league match against irish opposition. in final derby of period, connacht managed pick win, beating munster 24–16. following high however, connacht beaten @ home first time in season, losing 13–16 edinburgh. poor form carried europe connacht lost home match in quick succession, being beaten 24–33 exeter chiefs. team able recover following week beat la rochelle , secure place in knock-out stage of competition.

february

there no games in opening weekend of month 2015 6 nations championship taking place. on 15 february connacht returned league action, suffering 32–14 loss away scarlets. following week, connacht away welsh side, time facing newport gwent dragons, , recovered previous week s disappointment emerge 25–30 winners.

march

connacht opened month of march bonus point victory on benetton treviso, crushing italians 53–5. on 6 march, connacht faced cardiff blues away ahead of tough series of matches against teams in play-off places, making game important in qualification 2015–16 rugby champions cup. connacht beaten 18–17 late try, after referee controversially gave penalty against connacht game in overtime after cardiff appeared have knocked ball on. in aftermath of game, pat lam criticised touch judge leighton hodges , lodged complaint league. lam later charged misconduct comments. in spite of lam s comments , misconduct charge, hodges refereed connacht s next match, away munster in thomond park, connacht beaten 42–20.

april

the team s first match in april challenge cup quarter-final against gloucester in kingsholm stadium. after going in 14–0 down, connacht held hosts scoreless in second half , pulled match penalty try. couldn t make deficit however, , connacht knocked out of cup 14–7.

in return pro12, connacht suffered second home league defeat of season, time ulster. after poor first half performance, connacht went in 17–0 down, earn losing bonus final score of 20–27. home defeat followed, team shipping 5 tries against glasgow warriors in 13–31 defeat, leaving team in danger of finishing behind edinburgh in 8th place , missing not automatic qualification champions cup, chance @ play-off final spot.

may

connacht able start month first win since 1 march, beating zebre 10–40 in italy, earn try bonus , leave chance of reaching champions cup. in final round of regular season, on 16 may, connacht faced ospreys, while rivals champions cup places, scarlets , edinburgh, faced benetton treviso , leinster respectively. connacht picked losing bonus, while scarlets won , edinburgh beaten 13, leaving connacht in 7th place, highest finish in regular league season, short of qualification champions cup.

connacht proceeded play-off involving bordeaux bègles, 7th placed team in 2014–15 top 14 season, , gloucester 2014–15 rugby challenge cup winners. connacht played gloucester away on 24 may chance face bordeaux. connacht leading 18–25 in final minutes of game, controversial penalty decision romain poite gave gloucester try-scoring opportunity , sent match time, after gloucester emerged 40–32 victors.