Connacht hold off Perpignan to earn another victory

Connacht are the only side to have maximum points after two games in the Challenge Cup after they carved out a fine win in Perpignan.

Pete Wilkins' side never trailed and in the end held off a spirited rally from the Top 14 side to win by five tries to two.

Connacht built on a great start to lead 19-8 at the break and should really have had the bonus point in the bag such was their dominance in the opening half.

The lead was built despite losing two players to injury with No.8 Sean O'Brien going off after less than four minutes, while winger Andrew Smith saw his game of the season end after 22 minutes with a hand injury.

By then Connacht were 14-0 ahead in the winter sunshine at Stade Aimé Giral with Byron Ralston getting them off the mark after four minutes from second phase after a tapped penalty.

They opted for the corner from a penalty in front of the posts six minutes later and were rewarded for their ambition when they got the drive after a lineout take from Darragh Murray and hooker Eoin de Buitlear finished.

Jack Carty added his second conversion but Perpignan, understrength like Connacht, hit back and loosehead Lorencio Boyer-Gallardo scored after several drives. Aontoine Aucagne missed the conversion but cut the gap to 14-8 with a penalty from the 22 after 28 minutes.

But he was the guilty party as Connacht got their third try, dropping a long pass back inside his 22 and from the resultant scrum, half-backs Matthew Devine and Carty sent full-back Santiago Cordero away and the Argetine international put Chay Mullins over in the right corner.

That should have been the second try of the game from the Irish sevens international, who scored a hat-trick on his debut last weekend against Zebre, but moments earlier he dropped