Caption: Niva Ta’auso evades a Johnny Wilkinson tackle. Pic Sporting Occasions.

It was the night when Connacht rugby stood up on the big stage and demanded respect. They earned it for sure and in the process demonstrated to the country and beyond that they are more than just a spirited bunch of hard working players.

These past few months have shown Connacht rugby in a new light to those commentators and observers who rarely take a minute to even watch Ireland’s fourth province.  It’s not just the work rate and bravery that has so many people enthused, it’s the rugby they’re playing.

While Leinster and Munster struggle to rediscover the fire and Ulster squabble, penny less Connacht have been on the rise. Showing once and for all that budgets aren’t required to lay the foundations of success, work rate, heart and endeavour are the cornerstone, then money comes into play.

Big spending Toulon have all the resources in the world but they have had that money, through Comicbook billionaire Mourad Boudjellal, for some years now and last year they were nearly relegated. This season they have discovered a team work ethic and the rewards are clear.

They won thanks to a strong front row that edged one of the best in the Magners League, their back row had two no-holes barred superstars in the shape of Joe Van Niekerk and Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe.

More than that, in Johnny Wilkinson they had a deadly boot and in Kefu and Lovobolabu they had enough backline threat to get them into point scoring positions. In fact but for some incredibly gutsy defense those key areas would have yielded a bucket load of tries.

A total of 7,000 tickets were sold, wisely they stopped there because there wasn’t room for another soul. Terraces at either end and beside the stand added to the stadium and the crowd enveloped the pitch creating an atmosphere like never before.

These weren’t just curious onlookers either, the green jerseys swarmed Galway from Friday lunchtime as the sun came out and come kick off time almost everyone there was willing to test their vocal chords to the limit.

The early exchanges were nerve tingling for sure. The kick off was ingenious from Connacht with a short and high bomb angled for Gavin Duffy to do his thing. He rose in the air above all around him and sniffled possession, Toulon were offside and Connacht had a 3-0 inside the first minute.

That just rattled the gold plated cage of their Mediterranean opponents. From the second minute, Toulon looked like a raged bull on the verge of a rampage. With the eyes of the province and European rugby upon Galway, one wondered if the the men in green were about to be steamrolled.

Wave upon wave of attacks followed, the first signs of what was to come from Fernandez Lobbe were ominous and when the ball was shifted wide, Mafi Kefu and Fijian Gabriel Lovobalavu was a constant threat.

Connacht hardly touched the ball in the opening quarter, they made 50 tackles to Toulon’s 11. It was intense but they were still alive at the other end. In fact all Toulon had to show for their work was two penalties from Wilkinson.

The games most crucial and talked about phase came just before half time. Wilkinson’s drop goal and penalty had his side 12-9 up at that point. Connacht were hanging on deep in first half injury time when a series of eight scrums on the home line led to Kefu’s vital try in the 50th minute of the first half.

A missed knock on in the build up to that score and a couple of tight penalty calls during that incredible series of re-sets will be debated at length and referee Wayne Barnes won’t be remembered fondly as a result but either way that score was vital and Connacht jogged in ten points behind.

The second half could well have been a cake walk for the visitors but instead Connacht edged their way back into the contest with a long range penalty from Ian Keatley reducing the gap initially and then three separate visits to the Toulon 22 put them in prime position to level matters.

All the heroic tags, and paths on the back won’t disguise for the players that they let a major chance slip in the second half and failed to execute in the so called red zone.

From Sean Cronin to Michael Swift up front and in the backline with Ian Keatley reaching new heights along with the brilliant Gavin Duffy and Niva Ta’auso, Connacht had plenty of heroic performances but the game was won by Toulon’s stern defence in that second half and one crucial try deep in first half injury time.

The wider Connacht public have clearly embraced this team over the last few months, early season storming wins away to Montpellier and Worcester grabbed their attention and in in the last six weeks 17,875 fans have passed through the Sportsground turnstiles. That’s an average 4,500 a game.

Connacht stood toe to toe with a European powerhouse on Friday and the Branch demonstrated their ability to put on a decent show for good measure. Many new fans left the Sportsground gutted but inspired by the effort of their team and determined to back them in the future.

Their commitment will be crucial as the potential for more days like this is very much there if this Connacht team is truely backed by the powers that be in Dublin 4. Connacht have finally sorted out the foundation, move forward real investment is now needed.

Connacht: G Duffy; T Nathan, N Ta’auso, A Wynne, F Carr; I Keatley, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, S Cronin, J Hagan; M Swift, M McCarthy; J Muldoon (capt), J O’Connor, G Naoupu.

Replacements: B Tuohy for Nathan 18 mins; R Morris for Hagan 40 (+7) mins; R Loughney for Wilkinson 48 mins; M Nikora for Keatley 52 mins; B Upton for Swift 59 mins; M McComish for McCarthy 68 mins; C O’Loughlin for Murphy 69 mins.

Toulon: L Rooney; G Lovobalavu, M Kefu, T May, C Marienval; J Wilkinson, M Henjak (capt); S Taumoepeau, P Fitzgerald, T Leaaetoa; J Suta, E Lozada; J van Niekerk, T Sourice, J Fernandez Lobbe.

Replacements: S Bruno for Fitzgerald 53 mins; O Missoud for Sourice 53 mins; S Williams for Wilkinson 57 mins; B Basteres for Taumoepeau 58 mins; T Ryan for Leaaetoa 64 mins; K Chesney for Lozada 64 mins; P Mignoni for Henjak 68 mins; E Auelua for Lobbe 79 mins.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)