Details

Date Time Competition Season
14 January 2023 5:30 pm EPCR Challenge Cup 2022/23

Match Report

Connacht Extend Unbeaten Run in Challenge Cup In Comfortable Fashion

A hat-trick of tries from Alex Wooton saw Connacht claim a comprehensive win over Brive at the Sportsground in Pool A of the Challenge Cup.

The win books the Westerners place in the knock-out stages of the competition. It was a terrific performance from Connacht. Brive offered very little throughout. From the moment John Porch went over for Connacht’s first try in the third minute the result never looked in doubt.

They added four more tries in the first half. Wooton completed his hat-trick in the second half as Connacht ran in four more tries.

Clever thinking from Jack Carty saw his crossfield ball find Porch and he went over for Connacht’s opening try in the third minute. Five minutes later Mack Hansen offloaded the ball to Finlay Bealham who got his side’s second try.

It was all Connacht and they played with such poise and confidence. In the 17th minute Cathal Forde got their third try with Carty converting for a third time. The French side couldn’t contain Connacht and Alex Wooton secured a bonus point for the Westerners in the 26 minutes.

Things got better for Connacht in the 33rd minute when Wooton got his second and his side’s fifth try. Cian Prendergast with some great play in the build-up. Carty fired over to conversion to put the score at 33-0.

After being completely outplayed in the opening half Brive finally got off the mark in the 36th minute when Kevin Fabien went over for a try. Tom Daffy failed to convert it. Brive were poor in the line-outs and were constantly punished by Connacht. In the 51st minute Wooton was released and raced through to go over for his hat-trick of tries. 

In the 57th minute Wooton was involved as Conor Oliver went over for another Connacht try. Wooton assisted substitute Conor Fitzgerald in the 72nd minute and he powered over. The scoring didn’t end there and in the 77th minute another sub went over; this time Kieran Marmion with his side’s ninth try.

Andy Friend’s side will hope to bring this form into their game away to Newcastle next week and give them home advantage in the knock-outs.


Connacht

15Mack Hansen Winger
14John Porch 23 Winger 3'
13Byron Ralston Winger
12Cathal Forde 22 Fly-Half 17'
11Alex Wootton Winger 23', 32', 51'
10Jack Carty Fly-Half 4', 9', 17', 33', 52', 57', 72', 77'
9Colm Reilly 21 Scrum-Half
1Peter Dooley 17 Prop
2Dave Heffernan 16 Hooker
3Finlay Bealham 18 Prop 8'
4Josh Murphy Lock
5Niall Murray 19 Lock
6Cian Prendergast Flanker
7Conor Oliver Flanker 57'
8Jarrad Butler 20 No. 8
16Dylan Tierney-Martin 2 Hooker
17Jordan Duggan 1 Prop
18Jack Aungier 3 Prop
19Leva Fifita 5 Lock
20Ciaran Booth 8 No. 8
21Kieran Marmion 9 Scrum-Half 77'
22Tom Daly 12 Centre
23Conor Fitzgerald 14 Fly-Half 72'

CA Brive

15Maxence Biasotto 20 Full-Back
14Kevin Fabien Winger 36'
13Wesley Douglas Winger
12Nico Lee 22 Centre
11Valentin Tirefort 23 Winger
10Tom Raffy Fly-Half
9Vasil Lobzhanidze 21 Scrum-Half
1Hayden Thompson-Stringer 17 Prop
2Vano Karkadze 16 Hooker
3Tietie Tuimauga 18 Prop
4Andrés Zafra Lock
5Oskar Rixen Lock
6Matthieu Voisin
7Sasha Gue Flanker
8Abraham Papali’i 19 No. 8
16Aymeric Trong 2 Hooker
17Nathan Fraissenon 1 Prop
18Francisco Coria Marchetti 3 Prop
19Joeli Matalaweru 8 Lock
20Noe Bedou 15 No. 8
21Leo Carbonneau 9 Scrum-Half
22Enzo Herve 12
23Tom Danovaro 11

Past Meetings

(Round 2)
24 - 31
EPCR Challenge Cup
Stade Amédée-Domenech

CA Brive v Connacht

Ground

Dexcom Stadium
The Sportsgrounds, Galway City, County Galway, Ireland

Deniese is a freelance sports journalist/broadcaster. She has worked for several local and national media outlets. GAA and soccer are her great loves and she also follows rugby league and snooker. She's a big supporter of her local clubs St. Mary's GAA Granard and Longford Town. She also follows Celtic, Liverpool and Leeds Rhinos. She presented and produced a popular sports podcast last year where she interviewed Ray Houghton, Chris Kamara and John Hartson. Deniese is currently Head of Communications for Boccia Ireland