In a nine-try thriller, a hat trick from Caoilin Blade helped Connacht earn a BP, 43-24, win over the Emirates Lions to close in on the URC top eight.

This was a free-flowing encounter from the first whistle, home winger Diarmuid Kilgallen taking just three minutes to open the scoring with a well-taken try in the corner.

Jordan Hendrikse and Jack Carty exchanged penalties to leave it 8-3 after ten, breathless, minutes.

The South African side then took the lead when tighthead prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye tapped and went from close range, powerfully dotting down, Hendrickse with an easy conversion.

Hooker Shane Delahunt then got Connacht’s second try as the hosts responded well, Delahunt capitalizing on good scurrying by Blade to force over the line, Carty restoring the five-point margin.

Ten minutes later, it was roles reversed as this time Blade benefited from a nifty offload by the rampaging Delahunt to score Connacht’s third.  Carty’s conversion was celebrated with cheers around the Sportsground as it meant that he became Connacht’s all-time record point’s scorer, overtaking Eric Elwood.

Lions responded with, as they had done throughout, plenty of bite and tenacity.  Centre Henco Van Wyk replying after an assist from Hendrikse.  His conversion and the subsequent sin-binning for Delahunt (not rolling away in the build-up) silenced the Sportsground, temporarily.

However, even a man down, Connacht’s attacking enterprise reaped rewards again as Tiernan O’Halloran finished off a pinpoint Carty pass, the captain converting once more to leave it 29-17 at the end of an exhilarating half.

With only twelve separating the sides, the game remained tight until Blade followed up a slicing surge by O’Halloran to bag his second try of the night.  Carty continued his kicking accuracy with the tee as Connacht moved to 36-17 and breathing space.

It took until the hour for the next score, Blade bagging his hat trick try, another sniping score after fine carrying from replacement Shane Hurley-Langton.  Another fine conversion took Carty’s match total to thirteen points.

With the crowd in party mode, the hosts were caught dozing when a quick tap and go from Marius Louw went unchallenged, Hendrickse conversion bringing it back to 43-24.

In an entertaining final quarter, the Lions whilst stemming the Connacht tide, were unable to find a fourth, BP try, leaving empty-handed.

As far as Andy Friend’s men are concerned, that was the icing on top of a very tasty cake, rounding off a superb game of rugby.