Connacht too powerful for Zebre
REPORT: Connacht ran in eight tries in a high-scoring clash with URC basement dwellers Zebre.
The 48-27 victory was Connacht’s second of the season but Zebre earned their first point by virtue of scoring five tries themselves.
It took only five minutes for Giacomo Ferrari to cross for the first Zebre try but Finlay Bealham quickly responded and Sean Jansen added a second for Connacht with just 14 minutes on the clock.
The Irish side were relentless in attack and there were further tries for Cathal Forde and Sam Gilbert before Jacopo Botturi grabbed Zebre’s second.
Ciaran Frawley notched his fourth conversion when Cian Prendergast went over for Connacht’s five try in just over half an hour, and another one back for Mirko Belloni made it 33-17 at the break.
The returning Dave Heffernan and Harry West added further tries after half-time before Zebre managed a late flurry to earn a bonus point, Giampietro Ribaldi and Bautista Stavile Bravin crossing. Heffernan then had the final word of a breathless encounter with his second.
The scorers:
For Connacht:
Tries: Bealham, Jansen, Forde, Gilbert, Prendergast, West, Hefferman 2
Cons: Frawley 4, Gilbert
For Zebre:
Tries: Ferrari, Botturi, Belloni, Ribaldi, Staville
Cons: Montemauri
Teams:
Connacht: 15 Sam Gilbert, 14 Finn Treacy, 13 Harry West, 12 Cathal Forde, 11 Mack Hansen, 10 Ciarán Frawley, 9 Colm Reilly, 8 Sean Jansen, 7 Paul Boyle, 6 Cian Prendergast (captain), 5 Darragh Murray, 4 Niall Murray, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Eoin de Buitléar, 1 Jerry Cahir.
Replacements: 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 Jordan Duggan, 18 Sam Illo, 19 David O’Connor, 20 Will Connors, 21 Caolin Blade, 22 Sean Naughton, 23 Daniel Ryan.
Zebre: 15 Mirko Belloni, 14 Tobias Wade, 13 Marco Zanon, 12 Riccardo Casarin, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giovanni Montemauri, 9 Alessandro Fusco (captain), 8 Davide Ruggeri, 7 Jacopo Botturi, 6 Giacomo Ferrari, 5 Alessandro Ortombina, 4 Francesco Ruffolo, 3 Muhamed Hasa, 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1 Sergio Pelliccioli.
Replacements: 16 Giampietro Ribaldi, 17 Federico Pisani, 18 Juan Ignacio Castellano, 19 Matteo Canali, 20 Bautista Stavile, 21 Thomas Dominguez, 22 Giacomo Da Re, 23 Leonardo Sodo.
Referee: Hanru van Rooyen (SARU)
Assistant referees: Jack MacNeice (IRFU), Sam Holt (IRFU)
TMO: Egon Seconds (SARU)
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