Gloucester’s dream of Champions Cup rugby next season was kept alive by two tries in extra time, the second a 75-yard run from Jonny May, after Connacht twice appeared to have the game won.
The Irish side lost out the first time with a try from Billy Meakes right on the whistle for full time and were finally put away in the 98th minute when May started and finished a break which began in Gloucester’s left-hand corner and ended under the Connacht posts. First the England wing sidestepped four would-be tacklers before linking up with his captain, Billy Twelvetrees, involved twice in the move, and James Hook before taking the scoring pass 25 metres out.
“I don’t know where that came from,” said May. “I’m seeing stars, I’m so exhausted, but you just find the energy. It’s just a case of getting the ball and running into space and trying not to think.”
Gloucester’s director of rugby, David Humphreys, said: “The instruction was to kick the ball out but Jonny just does what he does. A fantastic try. Every great team needs X-factor players and Jonny gives us and England that X-factor.”
It was all very different from the try which got Gloucester back into the game after Connacht had taken a 30-28 lead 12 minutes into extra time, the Connacht wing Matt Healy scoring his second try of the afternoon, bursting through the Gloucester defence after a pop pass from the prop, Denis Buckley.
Connacht appeared about to qualify for Europe’s senior competition for the first time – previously they got in only by default and Leinster’s title – but for one final time Gloucester’s pack gathered themselves and, faced with the Irish team down to 14 men for the third time in the afternoon, bundled replacement hooker Darren Dawidiuk over the line.
Then came the May try which means Gloucester have a home final next Sunday against Bordeaux-Bègles, coached by the former Wasps team-mates Raphaël Ibañez and Joe Worsley, although it will not be at Kingsholm but 30 minutes up the M5 at Worcester because Madness have booked Kingsholm for a concert.
Somehow the choice of band seemed apt. That Gloucester got to extra time was remarkable in itself. After spending the afternoon heaping mistake upon mistake and over-ambition on top of mayhem, they pulled themselves together for one final rolling maul.
Connacht, seven points clear, tried all they could to collapse the drive knowing the concession of a penalty would probably see them home. They looked to be there when bodies hit the deck and Greig Laidlaw’s pass appeared to have more hope than direction about it.
Instead Meakes, just back from suspension, went from a standing start, the Australian jinking his way past tired Connacht legs and under the posts. There were suggestions that the centre might have been helped by a few Gloucester bodies but the referee, Romain Poite, called for a review before pronouncing himself happy.
“For us it looked like Gloucester blocking, but you have to live with those calls,” said the Connacht coach, Pat Lam. “I”m proud of the boys, but I’m also gutted for the boys.”
Gloucester Sharples (Robson, 64); May, Meakes, Twelvetrees (capt), Purdy (Cook, 51); Hook, Laidlaw; Wood (Thomas, 61), Hibbard (Dawidiuk, 60), Afoa, Savage, Palmer, Rowan, D Thomas (Ludlow, 66; Moriarty, 86), Moriarty (Stook 72).
Tries Moriarty, Sharples, Meakes, Dawidiuk, May. Cons Laidlaw 3. Pens Laidlaw 2, Hook. Sin-bin Afoa.
Connacht O’Halloran (O’Leary, 66); Carr, Henshaw, Aki, Healy; Carty, Cooney (Porter, 65); Buckley, McCartney ( Heffernan, 71), Ah You (Bealham, 54), Naoupu (Browne, 54), Muldowney, Muldoon (capt), Masterson, McKeon.
Tries Cooney, Carty, Healey 2. Cons Carty 3. Pens Carty 2. Sin-bin Buckley 34, Masterson 56, Heffernan 95.
Referee Romain Poite (Fr). Attendance 7,633.
