Connacht hosted Stormers in the United Rugby Championship on Friday evening, but the visitors took all three points with a 29-15 win. The result shifts the balance in what has been an open season so far.
Stormers never looked threatened after finding their rhythm, while Connacht struggled to string together periods of sustained pressure. The scoreline reflected a match where the visitors controlled the tempo once they established their footing.
Connacht sit second in the table after 16 games, with eight wins and eight defeats giving them 45 points. They came into this fixture on mixed recent form, including a heavy 33-21 loss to Glasgow Warriors and a convincing 26-5 victory over Edinburgh.
Stormers arrive on a difficult patch, having lost four of their last five matches. Their most recent outing ended 29-7 against Pumas, while they had previously taken down Sharks 36-28 before suffering a 41-3 defeat to Boland Cavaliers.
We backed Connacht at 71 per cent confidence, but the home side never got out of second gear. Stormers simply found an answer to whatever Connacht threw at them, and the visitors ran away with it.
The defeat leaves Connacht eight points behind the leaders after one more game than the top side. Stormers remain outside the playoff places but have closed the gap on those chasing the final spots.
