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Mike McCarthy produced a diligent performance today. INPHO/Francesca Soli
Review

Here's how Connacht rated against Zebre in the Heineken Cup today

Eric Elwood’s men overcame a determined Italian side today to win their opening Heineken Cup match.

Robbie Henshaw: Had one tremendous break in the first half that ultimately helped Connacht put points on the board and was part of a defence that performed well for the most part. 7

Tiernan O’Halloran: Was part of a backline that never really got going, and kicked out on the full at one stage in what was a less than assured display. 6

Eoin Griffin: Didn’t really impose himself on the game, and went largely unnoticed as a result. 6

Dave McSharry: Was diligent and committed as ever, but didn’t contribute too much to the attack. 6

Fetu’u Vainikolo: Another one who was quiet – Vainikolo did well when called upon, but that was all too seldom unfortunately. 6

Dan Parks: A near faultless performance from the ex-Scottish international, save one wayward kick towards the end of the game. 7

Kieran Marmion: Made some incisive runs at times, though also made one or two basic errors in his kicking and passing as well. 6

Denis Buckley: Wasn’t overly involved, but worked hard throughout. 6

Ethienne Reynecke: Fairly anonymous for the most part, though he wasn’t the only one. 5

Nathan White: Had one poor knock-on, and was part of a scrum that looked less than impressive at times. 5

Michael Swift: The veteran’s passing was noticeably poor at times and he wasted a good opportunity for a try at one point. 5

Mike McCarthy: Carried the ball well throughout and consistently looked one of Connacht’s main threats. 7

John Muldoon: Took his opportunistic try extremely well, and deservedly was given the Man of the Match award. 8

Willie Faloon: Had little influence on the game, before being replaced by Johnny O’Connor on 58 minutes. 5

George Naoupu: Didn’t see enough of the ball and didn’t use it effectively enough when he did. 6

Substitutes: The game was dead by the time most of the changes were introduced, and so they had little chance to make an impact. 5

Eric Elwood: Although Connacht weren’t at their best, they achieved the positive result that was required and stepped it up whenever Zebre threatened to get back into the game. Elwood will be satisfied overall. 7

Player Ratings: Racing Metro v Munster>

As it happened: Zebre v Connacht, Heineken Cup Pool 3>

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