Connacht dig deep to secure bonus point win over Perpignan
Win: connacht's Point Mullins Scoring Chay Two Sheridan Fourth In Picture: ©inpho/dan After His Games Try Five
Connacht dug deep to produce a five tries to two win in Perpignan which keeps them firmly on course for a place in the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup.
Pete Wilkins’ side are now the only side in the competition with maximum points after two games and will hope to secure a home knockout spot in January when they host Lyon and travel to Cardiff for their remaining pool games.
They never trailed and in the end held off a spirited rally from the Top 14 side to back up their opening round win over Zebre.
Connacht built on a great start to lead 19-8 at the break and should really have had the bonus point in the bag such was their dominance in the opening half.
The lead was built despite losing two players to injury with No.8 Sean O’Brien going off after less than four minutes, while winger Andrew Smith saw his game of the season end after 22 minutes with a hand injury.
By then Connacht were 14-0 ahead in the winter sunshine at Stade Aimé Giral with Byron Ralston getting them off the mark after four minutes from second phase after a tapped penalty.
They opted for the corner from a penalty in front of the posts six minutes later and were rewarded for their ambition when they got the drive after a lineout take from Darragh Murray and hooker Eoin de Buitlear finished.
Jack Carty added his second conversion but Perpignan, understrength like Connacht, hit back and loosehead Lorencio Boyer-Gallardo scored after several drives. Aontoine Aucagne missed the conversion but cut the gap to 14-8 with a penalty from the 22 after 28 minutes.
But he was the guilty party as Connacht got their third try, dropping a long pass back inside his 22 and from the resultant scrum, half-backs Matthew Devine and Carty sent full-back Santiago Cordero away and the Argentine international put Chay Mullins over in the right corner.
That should have been the second try of the game from the Irish sevens international, who scored a hat-trick on his debut last weekend against Zebre, but moments earlier he dropped a superb cross-kick from Carty when he just needed to catch it and fall over the line.
Perpignan hit back after the restart with a penalty from Aucagne being followed by a try from winger Jefferson Joseph as Connacht were punished for a series of penalties. Aucagne converted from the right touchline to cut the gap to 19-18 after 52 minutes.
But Connacht responded well and the experienced Paul Boyle got over for the bonus point after 58 minutes after several drives, with the TMO ruling it wasn’t a double movement as the Wexford man, who scored twice last week, stretched to score. Carty pushed the lead out to eight with the conversion and that was crucial as Perpignan finished strongly.
However, Connacht defended superbly and countered from deep through Cordero and Hawkshaw, and after Murray took another lineout, they got the drive and replacement hooker Adam McBurney crowned his debut with their fifth try.
A Crossdale; J Joseph, R Buliruarua (F Duguivalu 62), A Naqalevu, M Granell; A Aucagne (Tommaso Allan 55), J Hall (G Aprasidze 55); L Boyer-Gallardo (K Brookes 62), S Lam (c) (V Montgaillard 62), N Roelofse (Barcenilla D’Onghia 78); A Ortombina, A Warion; N Della Schiava, M Hicks (B Chinarro 67), A Dvali (So'otala Fa'aso'o 50).
S Cordero (Devine 58-67); C Mullins, B Ralston, C Forde, A Smith (D Hawkshaw 22); J Carty, M Devine (B Murphy 52); D Buckley (J Duggan 62), E de Buitlear (A McBurney 62), S Illo (J Aungier 52); D Murray, J Joyce (O Dowling 55); C Prendergast (c), S Hurley-Langton (C Oliver 59), S O'Brien (Paul Boyle 4).
Sara Cox (England).