Round 9, and Connacht travel to face the Isuzu Southern Kings in the Nelson Mandela University Stadium, Port Elizabeth. Coming into the game Connacht were the team in form but would have been acutely aware of the threats that the home team had in their arsenal. One of those threats comes in the form of 22 year old prop Lupumlo Mguca who likes to get around the field. Cian Kelleher found this out, in epic fashion. Mguca, after a little time in the sin bin most likely felt he had a point to prove and nobody was about to get in his way. Cian Kelleher did not get that memo. On the 50th minute off the game with the Kings trailing 7 – 24, Mguca finds the ball at pace and a gap to exploit. The tv cameras follow him for what is sure to be a bulldozing score as the 17st 8lb prob powers past the Connacht defence. Happy to run, happy to pass inside, Mguca has options but Kelleher stands his ground and with a textbook tackle plants his opposition to the ground. A chuckle from the commentator and an audible gasp from the fans, this tackle was fair and perfectly executed. To the imaginable despair of Kelleher, the Kings move of play did not stop there. The ball was recycled and the battling Kings found their way to the try line. In chase, and almost catching the try scorer? Cian Kelleher. Not content with tackling a man almost 3 stone heavier, he bounced back up to follow play and try to foil a scoring opportunity. What a moment.
