URC: Connacht 38 Benetton 30
Connacht, now in the right half of the URC table after a victory over Benetton, can take a breath – but not for long.
Elevated to the top eight, successive home victories over Cardiff and the Italians have injected real impetus into their season, ensuring Pete Wilkins’ side has every reason to keep fighting.
“Hugely important psychologically,” said the Connacht head coach after Saturday’s win, “but we have to be really cognisant of the challenges to come.
“Ospreys away, really tough team and venue, South Africa away is always a daunting tour, Edinburgh are hard to break down, and there’s a small matter of Munster as well, up in Mayo. So, plenty of challenges to come and we’ll have to play really well and keep improving to get the points.”
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Having been holed up near the bottom of the table, this fifth win from 12 was a huge relief, particularly when the result looked to be going the way of the Italians until Connacht took control in the final 10 minutes.
Not pretty, but six tries to Benetton’s three ensured the points went to the home side, Connacht’s defence proving crucial in the closing stages.
Benetton arrived in Galway with a team stacked with internationals, but it was Connacht’s two youngsters, Hugh Gavin and Finn Treacy, who played a big part.
Treacy, in his first start for the province, delivered the perfect chip ahead and collected to open the scoring, with Josh Ioane adding the extras. By the 13th minute Shayne Bolton delivered a second, dancing through players to put the home side 12 points up.
However, the visitors grabbed territory and possession, and in a purple patch posted three tries through Ignacio Mendy, Andy Uren and Marco Zanon to take a 27-12 lead.
But thanks to some momentum from Hugh Gavin, who broke through from a clever kick ahead by Ioane, Connacht got going once again, Paul Boyle, with the help of his pack, forcing his way over for a much-needed score. Ioane adding the conversion to make it 27-19 in Benetton’s favour for the break.
At the restart, the western province took control with some superior phase play. Shamus Hurley-Langton dived over after 47 minutes, and from a Hanrahan cross-field kick, Bolton scored to put Connacht in front.
Big carries from the pack were eventually rewarded when replacement scrumhalf Matthew Devine found his way over, Hanrahan adding the conversion on 73 minutes for a necessary but well-deserved win.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 5 mins: Treacy try, Ioane con 7-0; 12: Bolton try, 12-0; 16: Albornoz pen 12-3; 19: Mendy try, Albornoz con 12-10; 25: Uren try, Albornoz con 12-17; 30: Zanon try, Albornoz con 12-24; 34: Albornoz pen 12-27; 38: Boyle try, Ioane con 19-27; Half-time 19-27; 47: Hurley-Langton try, Ioane con 26-27; 59: Albornoz pen 26-30; 66: Bolton try 31-30; 72: Devine try, Hanrahan con 38-30.
CONNACHT: P O’Connor; S Bolton, H Gavin, C Forde, F Treacy; J Ioane, C Blade; P Dooley, D Heffernan, J Aungier; D Murray, D O’Connor; C Prendergast, S Hurley-Langton, P Boyle.
Replacements: M Devine for Blade, D Buckley for Dooley, J Murphy for Boyle (all 52 mins), O Dowling for O’Connor, JJ Hanrahan for P O’Connor (both 62), D Tierney-Martin for Heffernan, S Illor for Aungier (both 64), D Hawkshaw for Bolton (68).
BENETTON: R Smith; I Mendy, M Zanon, M Fekitoa, M Gallagher; T Albornoz, A Uren; T Gallo, B Bernasconi, G Zilocchi; G Marini, E Snyman; A Izekor, J Kingi, T Halafihi.
Replacements: R Favretto for Marini (49 mins), S Koroiyadi for Halafihi and T Pasquali for Zilocchi (62), A Garbisi for Uren, A Creevy for Bernasconi, N Chaparro for Gallo (all 64), J Umaga for Albornoz (68), Garbisi for Uren (69), Zanandrea for Fekitoa (74).
Referee: B Breakspear (Wales).
