Benneton 41
Connacht 19
CONNACHT’S HOPES OF making it to their first ever European Challenge Cup final when it is staged at the Aviva Stadium next month were buried in no uncertain manner in Italy when they were overpowered by Benetton.
Connacht never looked like making it to the quarter-finals of the competition for the 12th time as they suffered a six-tries-to-three loss in Treviso.
Andy Friend’s men were well off the pace after a bright opening and could have no complaints after they were put to the sword by a Benetton side who were well served by their returning Italian internationals in front of a full house of 6,000 at Stadio di Monigo.
In contrast, Mack Hansen and Bundee Aki were unable to repeat their Six Nations form in a poor Connacht performance which they will need to sort out before taking on Cardiff in a couple of weeks in a crunch URC clash.
Such an eventual outcome seemed unlikely when Connacht raced into a 12-0 lead inside 19 minutes.
But found themselves 21-12 adrift at the break after Benetton, starting with eight Italian internationals from the Six Nations, got on top.
A patient build-up after an attack set in motion from deep by John Porch saw Connacht hit the front after 13 minutes when Conor Oliver spotted a gap after several drives and got over.
It got better six minutes later when experienced full-back Tiernan O’Halloran put his skipper Caolin Blade through and when he was caught by full-back Rhyno Smith he had Porch on his shoulder to score.
David Hawkshaw converted having missed his first effort from the left but with former Wasps pair Jacob Umaga and Marcus Watson making inroads and Italian centre Tommaso Menoncello executed some superb offloads, the Italians took over.
Watson got them off the mark after 22 minutes before full-back Smith finished a lengthy attack 13 minutes from the break, with Umaga edging them in front for the first time with the conversion.
And he also added the extras after 37 minutes when Connacht, having managed to sustain another lengthy onslaught, were carved open when Edoardo Padovani squeezed in between Bundee Aki and Paul Boyle.
Benetton dominated the second-half and once Padovani got his second try six minutes after the restart, only one outcome seemed likely.
Connacht were unable to respond and Watson punished them with his second try as they pushed 33-12 after 53 minutes.
Porch reduced the margin with his second try but it was cancelled almost immediately by Frederico Ruzza and Connacht finished with 14 men when Oliver was binned for a high tackle in the closing stages of a very disappointing outing.
Scorers: Benetton Rugby: Tries: Watson (2), Padovani (2), Smith, Ruzza. Cons: Umaga (4). Pen: Umaga.
Connacht: Tries: Porch (2), Oliver. Cons: Hawkshaw, Forde.
Benetton Rugby: Rhyno Smith; Edoardo Padovani (Tomas Albornoz ’62), Nacho Brex, Tommaso Menoncello (Alessandro Garbisi ’73), Marcus Watson; Jacob Umaga, Dewaldt Duvenage (c); Nahuel Tetaz (Thomas Gallo ’69), Giacomo Nicotera (Siua Maile ’50), Tiziano Pasquali (Filippo Alongi ’58); Niccolò Cannone (Riccardo Favretto ’72), Federico Ruzza; Seb Negri Da Oleggio, Michele Lamaro (Alessandro Izekor ’68), Henry Stowers (Manuel Zuliani ’58).
Connacht: Tiernan O’Halloran (Shane Jennings ’39-’41, 54); John Porch, Tom Farrell, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen; David Hawkshaw (Cathal Forde ’54), Caolin Blade (c) (Kieran Marmion ’58); Peter Dooley (Jordan Duggan ’47), David Heffernan (Dylan Tierney Martin ’41), Jack Aungier (Sam Illo ’47), Levi Fifita (Oisin Dowling ’54), Niall Murray, Cian Prendergast, Conor Oliver, Paul Boyle (Shamus Hurley-Langton ’47).
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England).
