Second-string Sharks sliced apart by Connacht, snapping five-match winning streak

Irish side Connacht snapped the Sharks' five-match winning streak with a 23-12 victory in the United Rugby Championship (URC) in Galway on Saturday night.

A heavily rotated, Currie Cup-flavoured Sharks went into one of the toughest grounds to visit in the URC with the odds stacked against it.

Try-scorer Rohan Janse van Rensburg, flank Henco Venter and substitute scrumhalf Grant Williams were but a few players in their 23 who have regularly started games as part of their first XV.

Their coach on the day was Sharks Currie Cup head coach Joey Mongalo, who temporarily took the reins from director of rugby Neil Powell.

The Sharks had a rotten, error-prone start to the game, from which the hosts capitalised early with tries from flank Conor Oliver and inside centre Cathal Fordie after the first quarter lapsed.

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Connacht then pressed their advantage just before the break when fullback Tiernan O'Halloran dotted down their third try of the half.

The Sharks, who trailed 19-0 at the break and looked rudderless, didn't land a meaningful punch in the match until Janse van Rensburg scored in the 62nd minute but by then, Connacht was comfortably in control after Fordie got their fourth try six minutes earlier.

The Sharks tried to wrest momentum late on but their faulty lineout and poor handling proved their undoing, although they rallied enough to let replacement prop Dian Bleuler in for a consolation score two minutes from time. 

Scorers:

Connacht 23 (19)

Tries: Conor Oliver, Cathal Fordie (2), Tiernan O'Halloran 

Conversions: Jack Carty (2)

Sharks 12 (0)

Tries: Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Dian Bleuler