URC: Benetton 19 Connacht 22
Connacht rode their luck against Benetton, but dug deep and opportunistically struck at the death through a second, stunning try of the match by Ciarán Frawley on his debut. They could hardly have scripted it better. Some debut.
Against a stacked side who threw the kitchen sink at them in a helter-skelter game, this was a huge win for Stuart Lancaster’s gritty team
Despite the 8.45pm kick-off local time, the temperature was 19 degrees at the start of the game. Furthermore, the Azzurri football team were also reacquainting themselves with Zinedine Zidane in Paris for the first time since Italy won the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin.
Yet with a new stand being built at one end of the ground, both stands in the picturesque Stadio Communale di Monigo were fairly full with the well-heeled locals and a good smattering of Connacht fans. Rugby in Treviso operates in a bubble within the bubble of Italian rugby.
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On a pristine pitch, neither side were inclined to pause for breath, with quick lineouts, off-the-top ball and an array of launch plays choreographed in preseason the norm in a blistering start.
Frawley’s first touch from one such launch play was nearly a 50:22 but Jacob Umaga did well to keep the ball infield when tackled by the chasing Finn Treacy.
Even so, Connacht soon struck off another lineout strike play, Cathal Forde trucking up after a good take by Sean O’Brien, before Cathal Forde went back against the grain. Sean Jansen was the link for Cian Prendergast to bump and swivel out of tackles by Umaga and Onisi Ratave to score. Surprisingly, Sam Gilbert missed the conversion.
Connacht’s biggest cause for concern was their scrum, which was under increasing pressure and conceded the first of a couple of penalties to the corner from which their defensive maul was splintered for Bautista Bernasconi to score.
Connacht’s response was swift, Gilbert and Mack Hansen each counter-attacking effectively before Hansen came off his wing to make further inroads. From the recycle, Frawley’s deft, no-look offload led to Francois van Wyk before O’Brien picked up sharply to score.
Again though, unusually for him, Gilbert missed another kickable conversion, and the scrum issues remained, albeit Prendergast disrupted another close-range Benetton lineout.
Instead, it was Benetton who struck off first phase from a lineout inside their own half, the impressive Alessandro Garbisi working a wrap in midfield and taking the ball to the line to dummy and line with Matt Gallagher, who splintered Forde and Frawley to put the talented Leonardo Marin away for a 40-metre finish. Umaga converted for the lead.
But a 50:22 by Treacy led to yet another try off a lineout strike move as Blade wrapped around Forde to link with Frawley, who sped through a gap before dummying one tackle and taking Umaga’s hit to score.
Gilbert converted, although Connacht finished the half with 14 men after Bernasconi theatrically clutched his face after a glancing clash of heads with Finlay Bealham. He also signalled for a yellow card, which Hollie Davidson duly brandished.
An even worse decision followed early in the second half when John Devine was harshly penalised for side entry, and the ensuing penalty to the corner led to another maul try for Bernasconi, Umaga’s conversion putting Benetton 19-17 up.
After Frawley misjudged a kick over the end-line from 40 metres out, a superb Sam Illo turnover was undone when Jansen’s offload eluded Devine and Hansen could not regather, forcing Gilbert to concede a five-metre scrum.
Somehow Connacht survived two scrum penalties and a host of resets, Frawley and Paul Boyle holding up Marin over the line, before a big scrum by Billy Bohan, Illo et al, and a brilliant tackle by Devine on Michele Lamaro forced a turnover to complete a fine night’s work.
Connacht’s replacements made a significant impact, none more so than hooker Eoin de Buitlear. Although it looked like their last chance was gone when he was tackled wide out and Mirco Spagnolo won a turnover penalty.
Indeed, nothing seemed on when Gilbert cleared from inside his 22 but the ball found grass and bounced high for Shane Jennings to jump, gather and offload inside for Gilbert. Connacht went wide off the recycle for de Buitlear to glide past one defender and line with Frawley, who showed real strength in fending the last tackler and score.
Gilbert missed another kickable conversion but atoned with a thumping hit on Odogwu which forced a spillage, which led to Connacht running down the clock and Colm O’Reilly to kick the ball dead. Some win.
Scoring sequence: 4 mins: Prendergast try 0-5; 12: Bernasconi try 5-5; 16: O’Brien try 5-10; 35: Marin try, Umaga con 12-10; 38: Frawley try, Gilbert con 12-17; HT: 12-17; 5 mins Bernasconi try, Umaga con 19-17;
Benetton: Matt Gallagher, Louis Lynagh, Paolo Odogwu, Leonardo Marin, Onisi Ratave, Jacob Umaga, Alessandro Garbisi: Matias Medrano, Bautista Bernasconi, Simone Ferrari, Niccolò Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Giulio Marini, Michele Lamaro (capt), Riccardo Favretto. Replacements: Jean Smith for Odogwu (34 mins), Mirco Spagnolo for Medrano (53 mins), Tiziano Pasquali for Ferrari (56 mins), Siua Maile for Bernasconi (60 mins), Ignacio Mendy for Otave (65 mins), Sootala Fa’aso’o for Marini, Andy Uren for Garbisi (both 71 mins).
Connacht: Sam Gilbert, Finn Treacy, John Devine, Cathal Forde, Mack Hansen, Ciarán Frawley, Caolin Blade, Francois van Wyk, Matthew Victory, Finlay Bealham, Darragh Murray, Josh Murphy, Cian Prendergast (capt), Sean O’Brien, Sean Jansen.
Replacements: Eoin de Buitlear for Victory, Billy Bohan for van Wyk (both 51 mins), Sam Illo for Treacy (40-50 mins) and for Bealham (51 mins), Paul Boyle for O’Brien (55 mins), Niall Murray for Murphy (60 mins), Colm Reilly for Blade, Josh Ioane for Devine (both 71 mins), Shane Jennings for Treacy (75 mins).
Sinbinned: Bealham (40-50 mins).
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU).
