Yesterday, it was One of Those Days for Connacht. Wasps, who can afford to chuck six figures at Kurtley Beale for a year, came to Galway, and came away with a point for losing.
Another thrilling, improbable and absurd triumph for Connacht, secured in the most thrilling of circumstances: a try in the 82nd minute to level it; a conversion in the 83rd to win it. Pat Lam has whipped up something special out west that has clung in the air, with yesterday's victory the latest chapter in the unspooling of one of Irish sport's finest tales.
Yesterday again felt like something larger was at work: Pat Lam was in tears by the end, with Wasps' Dai Young admitting that there was an element of destiny about the manner of Connacht's victory. While he creditably refused to blame the referee, Young did point to an error that cost his side the game: Connacht kicked a penalty to touch with the clock red, yet were allowed to take the lineout, despite the rules stating otherwise. The lineout was the first act of the match-winning move.
European Professional Club Rugby have today issued a statement to confirm that the stand-in referee made an error in allowing the lineout be taken, but added that the result of the match stood.
Here it is in full:
EPCR would like to clarify an issue arising from yesterday's European Rugby Champions Cup, Round 4 match between Connacht Rugby and Wasps at The Sportsground.
The assistant referee, who had taken over as match referee following an injury to Jerome Garces, awarded a penalty to Connacht after time had elapsed. Connacht kicked the ball into touch and from the resultant line-out, scored a converted try to win the game 20-18.
However, as time had elapsed, Connacht should not have been permitted to take a line-out throw-in once the ball had been kicked into touch as stipulated in Law 5.7 (e) of World Rugby's Laws of the Game.
EPCR would like to thank all parties for their understanding and would also like to confirm that the result of the Pool 2 match stands.
The result leaves Connacht, Toulouse and Wasps level on 13 points at the top of Pool 2, with Zebre bringing up the rear with zero.
