Connacht’s shock victory over the Stormers is the stuff of dreams, says head coach Stuart Lancaster.
His team beat all odds to deliver a 24-33 win over the Capetown-based outfit - the first winners of the URC trophy.
“It’s huge - a huge victory for Connacht,” Lancaster says. “Stormers are such a high quality team.
“To come here and and get a bonus-point win, it’s like dreams, isn't it? And not only that, we've got so many good players who are sat home supporting us, and the young lads did so well - so proud.”
Always a huge challenge, Lancaster says his players also had to deal with the emotion which surrounded the sudden passing of Stormers team manager Chippie Solomon.
“I thought we were a bit rocky in the first half, but we got a good grip in the second. And it always changes on little moments, doesn't it? Obviously the intercept was probably the moment that won us the game, but Stormers will be back, they are a quality team”
That 77th minute try from youngster Sean Neachtain after an intercept sealed the victory for a team missing internationals Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham and Mack Hansen - their three most experienced players - and then losing hooker Dave Heffernan during the game, replaced by Matthew Victory.
“We stayed in the fight. We lost Heffernan, our 35-year-old hooker, and brought on a 21-year-old against a really good front row. We always felt that if we could stay in the fight for the last 20 minutes, we could capitalise.
“Our multi-phase attack began to click, creating more pressure on the Stormers defence. I thought our defence stood firm and held up.”
Lancaster says the victory has been a long time in the making.
‘Ive just come in six months ago, so there's been a hell of a lot in the background to get us to this point. So the Academy staff and the players, the people in the development programmes, did an amazing job, with a new stand built.
“ Credit to the club. I think we're on the up, and the young players are a great example of where we want to go in terms of this season.”
Captain Cian Prendergast says Connacht’s youngsters deserved huge praise.
“So proud of some of the young boys who stepped up today for us - Harry West, Hugh, Gavin, Matty Victory, who had to come on, Billy Bohan - they were absolutely immense, and I couldn't be more proud of them.
“Im proud how the leadership group led the week. We said we wanted to fire a shot, we want to be connected, we wanted to be physical. And I think we demonstrated that. And there were senior players out there who showed that.”
Crucial to the victory was Connacht’s set piece, which he says “stood up massively, while the backs “fired shots when they needed to”.
“We were physical, and that's what we set out to do. And we said we'd stick together through the tough moments, which we did The Stormers are such a good side, we knew they'd have their purple patches, so I'm just incredibly proud of the boys and how we connected and stayed through all of that.”
