Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Connacht's Sam Illo, Santiago Cordero and Conor Oliver after the match.Steve Haag Sports/Christiaan Kotze/INPHO FreeReaction 'I am frustrated with the performance but not the group' - Blow for Connacht as Lions roar Interim head coach Cullie Tucker reflects on URC defeat in Johannesburg. 7.31am, 27 Apr 2025 Share options CONNACHT’S UNITED RUGBY Championship campaign enters a new dynamic now following their 26-7 defeat at the hands of the Lions at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, according Cullie Tucker. The interim head coach says they now have to rely on other teams’ results in order for them to secure a play-off place. Connacht’s failure to earn a single bonus point in Johannesburg, only scoring their first points in the 74th minute, has seen the Lions overtake them in the standings. Connacht are now in 14th place, six points away from the top eight with two matches remaining. Advertisement “Tonight’s result is a big blow,” Tucker said. “We were aiming to get four or five points here and then we would be right back in the hunt. Technically we are still in the running, but we’re going to have to rely on other teams now as well. “It was a stop-start game, there was not much flow and I imagine it was frustrating to watch. Our very strong pillars are usually our lineout, our ruck and the strength of our attack, but they were all not as good as they have been.” “That affected our ability to get into the game, and we also conceded too many penalties, which also killed our momentum. We were also inaccurate with the ball, and the Lions took their chances. There’s no doubt they were the better team today,” Tucker conceded. The temporary replacement for Pete Wilkins, who stepped down on the eve of Connacht’s South African Tour, now also has fresh injury problems to worry about. Number eight Sean Jansen (head) and replacement scrum-half Colm Reilly (leg) seemed to suffer serious injuries, while Tucker said wing Shane Jennings is also a concern. Tucker admitted that at times Connacht’s attack were guilty of being like the bowler who keeps trying to york batters, instead of first concentrating on line-and-length. “We didn’t flow as well on attack as we have previously. We asked a lot of the forwards and at the start of the second half, you could see our forwards were punching the ball up more. But there was too much rugby out wide, we tried to go wide too quickly. “But the Lions nullified us at the ruck and defended well on the edge. They picked a back row to do that. I am frustrated with the performance but not the group. We’ve had a number of close games in the last six rounds and the lads gave everything. “Altitude was a factor today as well, the legs gave way a bit towards the end.” Ken Borland Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'I am frustrated with the performance but not the group' - Blow for Connacht as Lions roar”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “'I am frustrated with the performance but not the group' - Blow for Connacht as Lions roar”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... Cullie Tucker News in 60 seconds It's bananas and bonkers but Gaelic football is back, baby! How are Schmidt's Wallabies shaping up to face Farrell's Lions? Murray Kinsella Freehosting bonus FAI confident of one additional Euro 2028 group game following Casement Park FreeLeinster SFC Louth v Kildare: The fight for the last All-Ireland spot - and a Leinster final ticket Analysisslotting right in How Arne Slot improbably guided Liverpool to the brink of the Premier League title Poll: Who will win today's Munster hurling games? FreeThriller Barcelona edge Real Madrid in extra-time to win wild Copa del Rey final As it happened Scotland v Ireland, Women's Six Nations Scarlets hand Leinster second defeat of season to boost play-off hopes Freeresponse Ian Wright ‘can’t accept’ Eni Aluko apology after controversial punditry comments hollywood story Wrexham book Championship spot with third successive promotion more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account