Connacht lose out to Montpellier as French side stage comeback win

PA Sport Staff

Stuart Hogg kicked Montpellier to a 33-31 European Challenge Cup victory over Connacht as the French side clawed back a 17-point deficit to maintain their 100 per cent Pool 1 record.

The hosts got off to the perfect start at the Septeo Stadium when centre Thomas Darmon went over early on, with Leo Coly adding the conversion, but it was all square by the 11th minute when scrum-half Ben Murphy touched down and Sam Gilbert obliged from the tee.

Tries from Lyam Akrab and Dylan Tierney-Martin, both of which were converted, made it 14-14 and it was the visitors who surged into a 24-14 lead courtesy of winger Finn Treacy’s effort and five more points from Gilbert’s boot.

Gilbert took his personal tally to 16 points when he crossed six minutes into the second half and added the two points, giving the Irish side a 17-point cushion.

However, winger Melvyn Rates and replacement scrum-half Alexis Bernadet touched down to give the hosts hope, setting up a grandstand finish during which prop Valentin Welsch scored under the posts to level it at 31-31.

That left Hogg with the simplest of tasks to kick a second successful conversion and secure a victory which left Stuart Lancaster’s men with only two bonus points to show for their efforts.