Connacht Rugby 47 Benetton Treviso 8
Champions Connacht found their scoring form with a seven-try blitz to see off Treviso with ease at the Galway Sportsground on Saturday evening.
Pat Lam’s side had the bonus point wrapped up by half time to bag their fourth win in defence of their Guinness Pro 12 title, and they now head into a bigger fixture against Wasps in the European campaign with confidence high.
Despite an early Italian penalty from Ian McKinley after three minutes, Connacht were on the scoreboard after 14 minutes, helped by establishing territorial control through a huge touch-finder from outhalf Marnitz Boschoff in his first start. Tom McCartney, who had marshalled the maul, burst over from second phase, fed by scrumhalf John Cooney to kick-start Connacht's revenge mission - having lost to the Italians last season.
Although the home side lost right wing Cian Kelleher to the sin-bin for tackling his former Leinster teammate McKinley in the air, Treviso were unable to capitalise, and it was Connacht who scored their second try when Nepia Fox-Matamua sent late replacement Danie Poolman through after a swift passing move. Cooney added the conversion for a 14-3 lead.
Connacht then profited from a yellow card to Treviso’s prop Pietro Simone Ferrari, bagging 14 points in eight minutes. McCartney scored his second following a superb turnover from a maul, and five minutes later Denis Buckley waltzed through after great defensive pressure and a counter-attack led by Bundee Aki. Cooney converted to leave his team with a 28-3 lead in the 37th minute.
With a pep in their step Connacht added another two in a four-minute spell after the interval. Cooney added his name to the scoresheet after a superb break from Poolman; four minutes later replacement hooker Dave Heffernan touched down from a forward drive after a penalty to touch.
With both benches emptied, Treviso scored their first try after 62 minutes, rewarded following three successive scrum penalties on the line, but Connacht still had the last say.
Although finishing the game with 14 men, taking off Boschoff with an injured shoulder, within minutes Jack Carty has scored the seventh try, adding the conversion himself to become the third Connacht kicker in the match. Mission accomplished.
Yellow cards: Connacht, C Kelleher15m; Treviso, A Pratichetti 28m; Flammini (72m).
Connacht: T O'Halloran, C Kelleher, B Aki, S Ili, M Boschoff, M Healy, J Cooney, D Buckley, T McCartney, C Carey, Q Roux, J Cannon, N Fox-Matamua, J Heenan, J Muldoon (captain).
Replacements: D Heffernan for McCartney, C Blade for Cooney ( 53m ), S O’Brien for Heenan (58), JP Cooney for Buckley, D Robertson McCoy for Carey, R Parata for Aki (all 60m), E McKeon for Muldoon (62m), E McKeon, J Carty for O’Halloran (68m).
Treviso: D Odiete, A Esposito, M Tagicakibau, A Sgarbi (captain), L Sperandio, I McKinley, T Tebaldi, A De Marchi, D Giazzon, S Ferrari, M Lazzaroni, M Fuser, A Steyn, R Santamaria, M Barbini.
Replacements: A Pratichetti for A Esposito 39, F Zani for De Marchi (45m), V Flammini for Barnini (55m), T Allan for Tagicakibau (61m), N Quaglio for Zani (69), M Zanusso for Ferrari (69m).
