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Our referee for today is Federico Vedovelli from Italy, and he will be assisted by Chris Busby and Padraic Reidy, both from Ireland. Our TMO is Stefano Penne from Italy.
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Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Evan Roos, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Brok Harris.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Adre Smith, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Stefan Ungerer, 22 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
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Connacht: 15 Tiernan O’Halloran, 14 John Porch, 13 David Hawkshaw, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Byron Ralston, 10 Jack Carty, 9 Caolin Blade, 8 Sean Jansen, 7 Shamus Hurley-Langton, 6 Cian Prendergast, 5 Darragh Murray, 4 Joe Joyce, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Dave Heffernan (captain), 1 Peter Dooley.
Replacements: 16 Dylan Tierney-Martin, 17 Jordan Duggan, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Oisín Dowling, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Colm Reilly, 22 Cathal Forde, 23 Santiago Cordero.
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The Stormers have also won three and lost two of their last five games. They beat Ulster 13-7 at home in the URC, then lost 21-22 at home to La Rochelle in the Champions Cup. Next up was a 21-27 home loss to the Ospreys in the URC. They then crushed Leinster 42-12 at home and Gwent Dragons 44-21 away, both in the URC.
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Connacht have won three of their last five matches. They beat Pau in the Challenge Cup 40-30. Next up was a 39-24 away loss to Benetton in the Challenge Cup, after which they beat Zebre Parma 54-16 at home in the URC. They then beat Gwent Dragons 34-27 away, before losing 47-12 away to Munster, both in the URC.
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The two sides have each won two of the last four matches between the two sides.
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The Stormers have won 10 of their 16 games, with a points difference of plus-111. They have scored 53 tries and conceded 41.
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Connacht have won nine of their 16 games, with a points difference of plus-two. They have scored 48 tries and conceded 51.
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The Stormers are on 50 points, six points below the fourth-placed Bulls and 10 points below second-placed Glasgow Warriors.
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Connacht are down in ninth place, just four points behind eighth-placed Benetton. Edinburgh in sixth place are on 49, while the Stormers are six points above them on 50 points.
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Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of the United Rugby Championship clash between Connacht and the Stormers, brought to you from the Sportsground in Galway, Ireland.
1'
KICK-OFF! We're underway here in Galway… Connacht putting pressure onto the Stormers from the off, pressing them back to near their 22… blocking the first attempt to clear and doing similar with the second…
3'
Connacht look to counter but get sucked into a maul and the ref offers them a scrum near the halfway line. Willemse is getting attention to what looks like a dislocated finger - I believe. I'm not going to ruin a few night's sleep by having that mental imagine bouncing around.
4'
Connacht penalised for going down before the ball can even go in, and the Stormers get the penalty.
5'
GREAT BREAK from Connacht, Jansen driving through a tackle and powering into the Stormers before releasing the ball to his right… but the second pass slips past Porch and into touch.
7'
Connacht lose possession and the Stormers counter through the right touchline… they press up into the 22 and then up to the Connacht 5m…
9'
Connacht kick clear up into their 10 meter line and it's going to be a Stormers throw. Connact win the ball and counter at pace, driving up the right touchline through to the Stormers' 22.
10'
Connacht pick and pass at pace and drive across the field, but the Stormers have driven them back to their 10m line.
11'
The scrums are struggling to get their scrum together and the referee calls them to order. Connacht blown for collapsing the scrum and the Stormers can clear downfield.
12'
Stormers kick forward from a mail just inside their half, the ball bounces just right for the Stormers as they race the Connacht backline to get to the ball, but Connacht have knocked on. Stormers to feed the scrum.
14'
Stormers look to run the line but Connacht somehow win back the ball and run their line. The Stormers are playing like they're carrying an oil-soaked duck while Connacht seem to have magnets in their hands and in the ball. Connacht are also sliding through and off Stormers tackles and look twice as quick as their guests.
16'
DROPPED! Stormers break through the Irish line and Jantjies runs onto a perfect pop-up pass with just 12m through to the line…but it slips through his hands and is knocked-on… another great opportunity gone to seed.
18'
Carty clears from inside his 22… the Stormers will have the throw… they run the ball, kick into the Connacht 22 where Porch slips the ball through his hands. Scrum Stormers in front of the poles.
20'
The paperwork has taken some time but the Stormers break through the Connacht defence.
25'
Stormers run from the scruml driving up the right until they are pushed into touch.
26'
TYhe ref calls play back and offers the Stormers a kcik at goal which they take.
28'
PENALTY, STORMERS. LIBBOK. 0-3.
30'
Connacht drive forward, there's a good pass but Gelant catches it and offloads. to Willemse who takes his man on then passes through to Davids before driving through and over for the try… but the crowd are making a noise and the TMO rules a forward pass!
31'
Play iscalled back to the halfway line for ao Connacht scrum on the halfway line… Stormers blown in the scrum and its a penalty. Connacht kick to the 22 and will have the lineout.
34'
TRY, CONNACHT, BLASE! 5-3; Brilliant driving play by Connacht to force their way over the line.
36'
CONVERSION, CONNACHT, CARTY! 7-3.
39'
Superb attacking from the Stormers, but Connacht keep them at bay.
40'
HALF-TIME, CONNACHT 7-3 STORMERS.
41'
KICK-OFF! Second half is underway.
42'
Connacht putting pressure on the Stormers from the start, driving them back hard and gaining good ground.
44'
Penaltyu to Connacht from a Stormers infringement in the scrum… the ball is kicked to the 22… but the Stormers regain possession and clear the danger.
48'
Stormers with the scrum on their 10m, they hold it well, then run the line before kicking to touch just short of the Connacht 22…
51'
TRY, STORMERS, DAVIDS! 7-8; Connacht win their line, run the ball then kick forward but the Stormers gather well and counter-attack, driving up the left touchline… it's then brought back infield and the pass finds Libbok who breaks through his man, draws the tackle as he flicks wide to Angelo Davids who drives hard and over for the score! A great team try!
52'
CONVERSION, STORMERS, LIBBOK! 7-10! Libbok nails his kick from 10 metres to the left of the poles.
54'
Connacht drive forward up to the Stormers 22 but are penalised and the Stormers can clear the danger upfield.
56'
Connacht press back, win a lineout between the Stormers 22 and 10m… they run it left all the way to the touchline, look to bring it back and then the Stormers are blown on their 22m line 15m in from touch. The ref is lecturing the Stormers about fouling and threatens a yellow card if they keep fouling.
57'
Connacht kick to touch inside the Stormers 22… but we have to wait while the Stormers get running repairs to Brok Harris' boots.
58'
Connacht win the lineout and power towards the line, the Stormers trying to drag them out on the 5m but Connacht keep it alive and push back at the line, but the Stormers are defending like a wall of stone…
60'
TRY, CONNACHT, AUNGIER! 12-10; Connacht just pressed and pressed, until they finally squeezed over for the try, Aungier squeezing through under the maul. Carty hooks his conversion attempt terribly, about 15m to the left of the poles, but the wind is heavy and it caught his kick high up in the swirls
62'
Stormers drive forward well, pushing into the Connacht half past the 10m…
64'
The visitors keep powering forward through to the Connacht 5m line… they are held up then sling the ball left down the line and then crash forward again… but they are penalised for holding on the 5m and Connacht have the chance to clear the ball, with great relief.
66'
Connacht win the ball from their lineout and launch an up-and-under… it's beautifully held on the halfway line running forward in the air by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, but the ball is pushed out for a Connacht lineout.
67'
Connacht launch another up and under which they tap back on their 10m… but the ref blows for offside, not retreating… and LIBBOK IS GOING TO KICK FOR POLES. From the 10m with the wind behind him…
68'
PENALTY, STORMERS, LIBBOK! 12-13; Libbok connects beautifully, his kick starting just in line with the far post, rising high before curling through the posts.
69'
That's a precious lead for the Stormers are we hit the last 10 minutes of this clash…
71'
DISASTER FOR CONNACHT! They are blown for a foul on their 22 as the Stormers surge forward. It's a couple of metres to the left of poles so Libbok will look to extend their lead…
72'
PENALTY, STORMERS, LIBBOK! 12-16; Libbok nails the kick as you'd expect and that's a nice lead from where they were 10 minutes ago.
74'
Connacht storm forward, but the Stormers bring their big men down on their own 22… then clear the danger downfield and launch an attack, only for Connacht to send the ball back into the Stormers half.
75'
Libbo gets back to JUST get in the way of the Connacht forward surging towards the Stormers 22, the Stormers flyhalf just managing to scrape the ball out of his hands. It goes into touch and the ref and TMO take a while to work out that it's an Connacht throw.
76'
Connacht drive from the lineout but the Stormers scratch the ball back, it's flung to Libbok who drills it downfield for some brief relief….
78'
Connacht drive and drive from their 22 up to their 10m, desperate to push forward for the score, but the Stormers keep holding them back and the ref blows for a Stormers penalty and that's almost certainly the match as the Stormers can run the clock down. Libbok kicks to touch on the 22 and the Stormers have a lineout with 30 seconds left…
79'
Stormers penalised for the lineout, silly mistake… Connacht will try and run the penalty the length of the field to save the match…
80'
… Connacht get pushed back further and closer to their 5m line, great attacking defence from the visitors… Connacht with a little knock-on… but that's all that's needed… and the ref blows for full-time! A sensational fight-back from the Stormers, a gruelling win… and Marnie Libbok is a deserved Player of the Match!
81'
FULL-TIME, CONNACHT 12-15 STORMERS.
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