Match Centre: Connacht 22-8 Newcastle Falcons

Connacht 22-8 Newcastle Falcons, The Sportsground

Connacht came up with a three-try performance as they started their European Challenge Cup campaign with a 22-8 victory over Newcastle Falcons at The Sportsground.

It took Connacht just three minutes to score their first try as Paul Boyle dived from close range between the uprights and David Hawkshaw kicked the conversion to take them to a 7-0 lead before Tian Schoeman kicked a penalty from left of centre in the 17th minute to reduce the gap down to four points.

The visitors claimed their lead for the first time as a cross field kick from Schoeman was collected by Adam Radwan, who offloaded for Nathan Earle to touchdown. Schoeman missed out on conversion as scoreline became 7-8.

The home side seized the lead just before the break as as Connacht winger Adam Byrne burst through lacklustre tackling to race in and Hawkshaw's conversion meant they completed the opening half with a 14-8 lead.

The start of the second half saw Schoeman missing a drop goal and six minutes later, Hawkshaw also drifted a penalty wide as the gap between the two teams remained at six points.

The fly-half made amends just before the hour mark with a simple three from in front of the posts to extend the Irish province's lead to nine points. As Newcastle failed to find any more breakthroughs, Connacht completed a 14-point victory after Diarmuid Kilgallen collected a kick from Conor Fitzgerald to score their third try.

Team line up:

Connacht: O'Halloran; Byrne, Daly, Forde, Kilgallen; Hawkshaw, Blade; Dooley, Tierney-Martin, Aungier, Murphy, Murray, Butler, Hurley-Langton, Boyle.

Reserves: Delahunt, Buckley, Illo, Fifita, McCormack, Reilly, Fitzgerald, Farrell.

Newcastle: Tait; Radwan, Moroni, Penny, Earle; Schoeman, Stuart; Cade, Blamire, Tampin, Peterson, de Chaves, Dalton, Marshall, Chick.

Reserves: Maddison, Brocklebank, Palframan, Peters, Tiffen, Barton, Thomas, Greenlaw.