Match Report: Connacht 20-18 Wasps
European Champions Cup

Match Report: Connacht 20-18 Wasps – Connacht late show stuns Wasps

17 December 2016
Rugby Rucker
  • Jack Carty’s last-gasp conversion dealt Wasps their first Champions Cup defeat of the season
  • The Irish province went into the break 13-7 ahead thanks to Danie Poolman’s try
  • Carty converted from the touchline with the last kick of the game to win it
A converted try from new signing Naulia Dawai in the final play of the game helped Connacht beat Wasps 20-18 at the Sportsground.

Scrum-half Joe Simpson opened the try-scoring  to give Wasps the lead before the hosts edged ahead when Carty’s clever kick was gathered by Danie Poolman to touch down on the brink of halfitme.

The visitors dominated the second half and when Josh Bassett touched down in the corner, the result looked assured.

But Naulia Dawai went over from a maul in overtime to level the scores and Carty converted from the touchline with the last kick of the game to secure a famous victory.

It was a thrilling end to a pulsating encounter and means Wasps, Toulouse and Connacht all have 13 points in Pool Two, although the English side are top on points difference.

LINE UPS

Connacht: 15 Tiernan O’Halloran, 14 Niyi Adeolokun, 13 Rory Parata, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Matt Healy, 10 Jack Carty, 9 Kieran Marmion, 8 John Muldoon (c), 7 Nepia Fox-Matamua, 6 Eoin McKeon, 5 Quinn Roux, 4 Ultan Dillane, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Denis Buckley
Replacements: 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 JP Cooney, 18 Conor Carey, 19 Lewis Stevenson, 20 Sean O’Brien, 21 Caolin Blade, 22 Danie Poolman, 23 Naulia Dawai
Wasps: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Brendan Macken, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Nathan Hughes, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Ashley Johnson, 5 Kearnan Myall, 4 Joe Launchbury (c), 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 2 Tommy Taylor, 1 Matt Mullan
Replacements: 16 Alex Rieder, 17 Tom Bristow, 18 Marty Moore, 19 James Gaskell, 20 Guy Thompson, 21 Dan Robson, 22 Alapati Leiua 23 Frank Halai
Date: Saturday, December 17
Venue: The Sportsground
Kick-off: 17:30 GMT
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Assistant Referees: Mathieu Raynal (France), Sébastien Cloute (France)
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure (France)