Star man: Ian Keatley

Connacht opened up their 2010/11 Magners League account with an emphatic four-try 40-17 victory over the Dragons at the Sportsground.

Fly-half Ian Keatley stole the show by running in from the halfway line for the bonus-point score, with his conversion topping off an impressive 25-point haul.

An excellent early try from man of the match Ray Ofisa and an equally slick second from hooker Sean Cronin, on the half-hour, showed Connacht's ability to break down the Dragons.

Paul Turner's men travelled with a lengthy injury list and never really looked like improving their record of just one win in their last 24 visits to Ireland. New number 10 Matthew Jones booted four penalties and winger Will Harries grabbed a late consolation try.

Full-backs Jason Tovey and Gavin Duffy saw plenty of early ball in the balmy conditions, and Connacht were able to crack the Dragons' defensive line after just three minutes.

Using quick line-out ball, Keatley invited bustling centre Niva Ta'auso through a midfield gap and he drew the cover before passing for the supporting Ofisa to round in behind the posts.

Keatley converted and the home side continued to make good strides, probing through the forwards and out wide.

The Dragons lived off scraps of possession and their indiscipline, particularly at the breakdown, saw them fall foul of referee James Jones.

Both Keatley and Tovey missed penalty attempts before the latter was the victim of a dangerous tackle from Connacht's new number eight Ezra Taylor, whose hand caught Tovey around the face.

Jones took on the place-kicking duties and he opened the Dragons' account with an effort that nicked in off the post. But Connacht dominated the next quarter-hour, getting the tricky Fionn Carr on the ball and pulling 13-3 clear through the boot of Keatley.

The Dragons lost their captain Luke Charteris to the sin-bin for coming in at the side of a maul after repeated warnings, and Jones was off target with a long-range penalty.

Connacht collected their second try when Jamie Hagan charged through at a ruck, off-loading one-handed for his front row colleague Cronin to skip past the despairing Tovey and in behind the posts.

But the Dragons managed to get back in touch before half-time as two meaty Jones kicks closed the gap to 20-9.

Upping the intensity, the visitors threatened further on the restart and Connacht lost Duffy to the sin-bin for not rolling away after tackling Charteris. Jones kicked the second of two penalty attempts to make it an eight-point game.

Connacht needed a response and they got it when Keatley made a slashing break through the middle. He kicked two penalties in quick succession, steadying the ship in a slow-burning second half.

Injuries to Rhodri Gomer-Davies and Taylor held up play, but hungry Connacht sensed more scores and a penalty try, following a series of scrum resets, was swiftly followed by Keatley's solo effort, which saw him brilliantly outpace both Tovey and Aled Brew for the line.

Space on the left allowed Harries have the final say for the Dragons, however a worrying neck injury for Brew, who had to be stretchered off, added to their woes.

The scorers:

For Connacht:
Tries: Ofisa, Cronin, Penalty, Keatley
Con: Keatley 4
Pen: Keatley 4

For the Dragons:
Try: Harris
Pens: Jones 4

Connacht: 15 Gavin Duffy, 14 Troy Nathan, 13 Niva Ta'auso, 12 Keith Matthews, 11 Fionn Carr, 10 Ian Keatley, 9 Frank Murphy (capt), 8 Ezra Taylor, 7 Ray Ofisa, 6 Michael McCarthy, 5 Bernie Upton, 4 Michael Swift, 3 Jamie Hagan, 2 Sean Cronin, 1 Brett Wilkinson.
Replacements: 16 Adrian Flavin, 17 Ronan Loughney, 18 Rob Sweeney, 19 Dave Nolan, 20 Mike McComish, 21 Cillian Willis, 22 Miah Nikora, 23 Tiernan O'Halloran.

Dragons: 15 Jason Tovey, 14 Will Harries, 13 Rhodri Gomer-Davies, 12 Tom Riley, 11 Aled Brew, 10 Matthew Jones, 9 Danny Lee, 8 Hugo Ellis, 7 Robin Sowden-Taylor, 6 Joe Bearman, 5 Scott Morgan, 4 Luke Charteris (capt), 3 Ben Castle, 2 Steve Jones, 1 Hugh Gustafson.
Replacements: 16 Lloyd Burns, 17 Pat Palmer, 18 Ali Mckenzie, 19 Rob Sidoli, 20 Danny Lydiate, 21 Gavin Thomas, 22 Nicky Griffiths, 23 David Bishop.

Referee: James Jones (Wales)
Assistant referees: Alan Rogan (Ireland), Ollie Hodges (Ireland)
Television match official: Sean Flannery (Ireland)
Assessor: John Sheehan (Ireland)

12/05/2010 - 19:33:40
Wales will be without four key players for next month’s clash against world champions South Africa and the two-Test tour of New Zealand.

Flanker Martyn Williams, centre James Hook, scrum-half Dwayne Peel and lock Luke Charteris are all confirmed absentees.

Williams, who will be 35 in September, and Peel are both to be rested, while Hook – arguably Wales’ most consistent performer during this season’s RBS 6 Nations campaign – will undergo shoulder surgery once the Ospreys’ Magners League title assault is over.

Newport Gwent Dragons forward Charteris is currently recovering from a neck problem, which means he will not be considered for summer duties by Wales boss Warren Gatland.

Gatland is due to name his squad on Sunday for the June 5 Springboks clash in Cardiff, which is followed by appointments with the All Blacks in Dunedin and Hamilton.

“We have some depth in these positions with the likes of Jamie Roberts, Andrew Bishop and Jonathan Davies playing well at the moment at centre,” said Gatland.

“We are okay in the second-row as well, and Sam Warburton has been pushing Martyn really hard for a back-row spot at Cardiff Blues, as well as at international level.

“South Africa in Cardiff, and then two Tests in New Zealand, means we have a tough summer ahead of us. But this is exactly the position we need to be in, and it will be perfect preparation for the World Cup.”

Hook could be sidelined for up to five months, which might mean him facing a fitness fight to be fit for Wales’ autumn Tests later this year.

But Gatland is in an upbeat mood ahead of the June challenges, which follow a disappointing season for Wales.

“Games don’t come much tougher than playing the world champion South Africans, and (Springboks coach) Peter de Villiers has a wide range of talent to choose from,” he added.

“Depending on what happens in the Super 14 competition, certain players will be ruled out.

“But we will be expecting the European-based players like Butch James to figure, and (Natal) Sharks players are likely to be available, so there will be World Cup winners throughout the squad.

“They are going to be strong, but it could also be a great day for Wales. If we could win that game it would be a great platform for our summer tour.

“As for New Zealand, we just need to believe in ourselves and perform like we know we can – then, we will have a chance.

“France won a game there (New Zealand) last year and Ireland ran them close as well, so we know it can be done.

“But we are also keen to familiarise the players with our (2011) World Cup venues and training bases.

“It’s not until I left New Zealand that I realised that it is such a difficult place to tour, and we want the players to have that experience, training at the same venues and staying in the same hotels as we will in 2011.” 

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/four-out-for-wales-457436.html##ixzz0nkMnMZ9U

WHEN Andy Powell decided to take an early-morning ride in a golf buggy after Wales had beaten Scotland last February, there were those who said his Wales career could be over.

Having made one of the most sensational international debuts ever against South Africa in November 2008 and then enjoyed a meteoric rise to the Lions squad for the tour to South Africa last year, Powell had been one of the unqualified success stories of Warren Gatland’s tenure.

So, could we really be about to see all that fizzle out after less than two years in the big time?

Granted, the barnstorming runs that characterised the former Newport powerhouse’s unforgettable debut against the Boks, when he was an unknown quantity on the Test scene, had become known to opponents and subsequently far better policed.

But Powell’s influence as a ball-carrier with immense power and quick leg speed still made him a valuable commodity, certainly too valuable to be lost because of one moment of ill-judged tomfoolery.

Not only that, his presence in and around the squad in the shape of his larger-than-life character meant the benefits extended beyond the pitch.

Now it seems those assets have not been forgotten by Gatland.

Powell reportedly took his exclusion from the Wales squad halfway through the Six Nations and the later drink-driving ban he was handed by Cardiff magistrates pretty hard.

And, for whatever reason, not least a series of niggling injuries, his impact at the Blues in the latter third of the campaign has been severely curtailed.

Rumours he may be seeking a move to rugby league to join former team-mate Gareth Thomas at the Crusaders have been another distraction, even if they have been repeatedly dismissed by Blues coach Dai Young, who refuses to write off his somewhat wayward campaigner.

Similarly, it appears the patience threshold with Powell in the international set up extends far.

Powell remains on Gatland’s radar – to the extent that a place on the summer tour to New Zealand, says the Kiwi coach, is now a distinct possibility.

“We will have to see what his fitness is like,” said Gatland.

“But he has served his time and done his punishment and, if we want to include him, we will.”

Powell’s first chance to pull on the Wales jersey again will be against South Africa, the reigning world champions, on Saturday, June 5.

Though, whether he will make that is highly debatable given the Blues confirmed on Friday that the calf problem he sustained in the match against the Dragons at Rodney Parade last weekend would need two or three weeks more rest.

But Wales then fly out to New Zealand for a two-Test series against Graham Henry’s All Blacks on June 19 and 26, and, given Gatland is sure to want to rest players, a place on the plane to the land of the long white cloud should not be discounted .

Saying that, the New Zealander seems aware Powell may need an arm around his shoulder in the coming months.

“I think psychologically he has suffered quite a bit because of all that (the golf buggy saga),” said Gatland.

“He has struggled with the Blues, but when he comes to us, it’s a shorter time period and there is also hype around Wales.

“The ban because of the buggy affair has clearly had an impact on him and then he hasn’t played due to injuries.

“The Crusaders speculation hasn’t helped and had an impact as well.”

The league speculation snowballed after respected Crusaders coach Brian Noble admitted Powell is a player he admires and one he believes would be a smash hit in the 13-man code.

Former Wales captain Thomas, who switched codes from the Blues to the Crusaders at the end of February, has gone on the record as saying it is a move Powell should strongly consider making.

But Gatland has a different view altogether.

The ex-Wasps coach admits he cannot understand why a player in Powell’s position would want to follow Thomas’ example and leave the union game at a time when there is so much to be achieved in the near future.

Gatland added: “I spoke to Andy the other day and told him to get his head down and to keep training hard.

“He was playing well against the Dragons before he picked up the injury.

“I told him that he was important to us over the next 18 months.

“I advised him to get to the World Cup injury-free and playing well and then after that if he wanted to go to rugby league then go and do whatever he wanted.

“I just cannot understand why he would want to leave ahead of a potential massive 18 months for him

“The profile of playing in the games we are playing ahead of the World Cup and then the cup in New Zealand is huge.

“I don’t know why he would want to swap that for playing rugby league with the Crusaders in Wrexham.”

Powell may not be a new face considered for Gatland’s 27-man squad to face the Boks and the All Blacks, but there could well be a few who do fall into that bracket.

Gatland is expected to name his squad on Sunday, May 16, and Tavis Knoyle, the Scarlets teenage scrum-half, is one in particular who is being viewed as a possible deputy for Lions No 9 Mike Phillips.

“Tavis has a good kicking and passing game,” said Gatland.

“He doesn’t mind the physical stuff and we have been really impressed with him.”

Yet Knoyle is far from the only one.

The likes of Dragons trio, wing Will Harries, prop Hugh Gustafson and flanker Gavin Thomas, along with Scarlets wing Andy Fenby and fly-half Rhys Priestland, are other names being mentioned in dispatches as possible tourists.

The Dubliner kicked three penalties and converted Fionn Carr's first half try to extend Connacht's impressive unbeaten home run, which stretches back to September, and dent the Dragons' play-off hopes.

Paul Turner's charges were missing Wales squad members Luke Charteris and Danny Lydiate, who are on international duty this week, and the injured trio of Adam Jones, Lewis Evans and James Harris.

But it is doubtful if any of those players would have made a difference at the Sportsground as Connacht, who were without their Ireland hooker Sean Cronin.

The hosts were largely dominant and the Dragons were restricted to just a single penalty from 20-year-old out-half Jason Tovey.

It was clear from the off that Keatley, who is two years older than his opposite number, would have the better platform to work off as the Connacht forwards were very effective at set piece time, with lock Mike McCarthy stealing two Dragons lineouts.

That hard graft up front saw Keatley convert two penalty goals after 9 and 15 minutes and Michael Bradley's men moved 13-0 ahead at the midpoint of the half, completing a terrific breakaway try.

Scrum half Conor O'Loughlin used turnover ball to make a break and kick through for Liam Bibo to chase. He gathered well and found his fellow winger Carr with a lofted pass, and Connacht's top try scorer of the current campaign did the rest, outpacing the cover to score close to the posts.

Keatley added the extras onto Carr's twelfth try in 16 outings this season.

The Dragons, with Toby Faletau making his first start and Andrew Coombs debuting as a replacement in the second half, showed signs of life with some strong running from centre Matthews Watkins.

But their wide men were kept out of the game as Connacht kept play tight.

Tovey landed a penalty to cut the gap to 13-3 for half-time, after Tom Willis and his Dragons forwards were stopped five metres out.

However, the Dragons were off colour once again during a rather listless second half.

With John Muldoon and George Naoupu carrying well, Connacht built through the phases impressively, setting up an early penalty kick for Keatley which he sent through the posts.

The Ireland international missed two further place-kicks, and while the Dragons almost hit back with a try - Bibo produced a brilliant hit on Watkins to force a turnover - and ended the game camped on the home line, Connacht held firm to hand the Welsh side their first defeat in five matches.