Edinburgh 14 (14)
Tries: Rennie, De Luca
Cons: D Blair (2)

Edinburgh let slip an 11-point lead to draw with Connacht in the Magners League game in Galway.

Converted tries from David Blair and Nick De Luca helped the Scots to a 14-3 advantage before Connacht launched their fightback.

A try from prop Robbie Morris narrowed the gap to six points at the break and a brace of penalties from Tim Donnelly brought the Irish side level.

Both sides missed with late drop goal attempts as the points were shared.

Edinburgh held a healthy lead coming up to the half-hour mark but Connacht's dominance of possession and territory in the second half should have yielded more than the draw for the home side.

The touchdown from Morris was the pivotal score of the match as Connacht played with much more poise and energy after half-time, getting on top of the visitors and dominating for long periods.

Donnelly's penalties after 59 and 69 minutes put Connacht level on the scoreboard but a number of good chances were squandered in the intervening minutes.

Four visits to the Edinburgh 22 failed to yield a try.

In a frantic finale, Donnelly had two attempts at a drop goal, the first blocked, the second wide right.

Deeper into added time, Edinburgh's debutant fly-half David Blair went close and his stabbed drop goal effort appeared to have gone over only for referee Hugh Watkins to rule it had dropped just under the bar.

Video replays later suggested it had done neither and missed wide right.

The protests from the visitors fell on deaf ears and both sides were forced to settle for a draw for the second year, having finished level at 22-22 at the Sportsground last season.

Connacht were handed a lifeline in this scrappy contest just before half-time with a try from Morris, made by a superb break by full-back Gavin Duffy.

Although the conversion was missed, Connacht had got themselves within a score of Edinburgh after a half of disappointing rugby.

Edinburgh had burst into life in the opening minutes with a try from back rower Rennie, coming from a well judged lineout drive.

The touchline conversion from David Blair made for a perfect opening to the contest.

Connacht responded with a penalty from the boot of Donnelly, but with 13 minutes remaining in the half Edinburgh struck for try number two.

This time centre De Luca scored a converted touchdown following a simple break from winger Andrew Turnbull, who cut through the defensive pairing of Brett Wilkinson and Morris.

Connacht: G Duffy; O Treviranus, M Deane, A Wynne, K Matthews; T Donnelly, C McPhillips; B Wilkinson, J Fogarty, R Morris; M Swift, D Gannon; R Ofisa, J O'Connor, J Muldoon, capt.
Replacements: A Flavin, B McGovern, A Farley, M McCarthy, C O'Loughlin, P Durcan, D Yapp.