Zebre 34 Connacht 57
Connacht’s nine-try bonus point win over Zebre has moved them into the URC’s top eight at a critical time in the season.
Hot on their heels are both Cardiff and Edinburgh, who Connacht are due to meet in back-to-back games in the Sportsground, while away trips to the Dragons and Glasgow will also provide a real challenge for Andy Friend’s side to maintain their momentum.
Connacht, having raced into a 13-38 lead at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, then conceded 21 points as the hosts closed the gap to just four by the 61st minute. And although Connacht pulled away in the end, it was not as comfortable as it could have been.
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“It was nice to come away with five points, but we can’t afford to knock off like that, and it is not acceptable,” said coaching director Andy Friend.
“What was good was the way we fought our way out of that hole. To score those late three tries, it ended up being a good win for us, and a win we needed. But we must make sure we are not doing that too often.
“We have the five points, which is what we wanted, scored nine tries. But definitely we let ourselves down in that second half, but pulled our way out.”
It was also Connacht’s fourth hat-trick in succession – Tierney-Martin, following Caolin Blade, Finlay Bealham and Alex Wootton.
The hooker had bagged his third by the 26th to help push Connacht into a 13-31 at the break, and Andy Friend’s side looked to be cruising to a comfortable victory over the Italian outfit, currently perched on the lowest rung of the URC ladder.
When Diarmuid Kilgallon added the sixth try, Connacht had extended the lead to 38-13 in the 43rd minute. However Zebre, although without a win this season, have racked up eight bonus points courtesy of their and never-say-die attitude. By the 61st minute they had closed the gap to just four points with tries from Erich Cronje, Josh Furno, and Simone Gesi.
It ensured a nervous final 20 minutes for the visitors, but with Jarrad Butler taking charge up front, and Kieran Marmion upping the pace, Connacht were able regain the initiative, with tries from replacements Adam Byrne, Marmion and debutant Eoin de Buitlear.
Connacht can thank the perfect start from the hooker, and although Zebre outhalf Tiff Eden was on target with two penalties, Conor Oliver provided the momentum for Tierney-Martin’s second. Four minutes later he struck for his third in similar fashion.
Penalties continued to prove Zebre’s undoing when Tiernan O’Halloran took advantage to score the fourth try, and although a poach from quick-thinking Zebre scrumhalf Chris Cook sent left wing Simone Gesi on his way for a 34th try, Blade bagged his side’s fifth for a 13-31 half-time lead. It paved the way for their seventh win from 14 fixtures, maintaining their push for top eight qualification.
Scoring sequence – 5 mins: Tierney-Martin try, Carty con 0-7; 8 mins: Eden pen 3-7; 13 mins: Eden pen 6-7; 23 mins: Tierney-Martin try, 6-12; 27 mins: Tierney-Martin try, Carty con 6-19; 31 mins: O’Halloran try 6-24; 34 mins: Gesi try, Eden con 13-24; 38 mins: Blade try, Carty con 13-31. Half-time: 13-31; 43 mins: Kilgallen try, Carty con 13-38; 45 mins: Cronje try, Eden con 2-38; 55 mins: Furno try, Eden Con 27-38; 61 mins: Gesi try, Eden Con 34-38; 72 mins: Byrne try Carty con 34-45; 75 mins: Marmion try, Carty con 34-52; 80 mins: Buitlear try 34-57.
ZEBRE: L Pani; K van Wyk, E Cronjé, E Lucchin (capt), S Gesi; T Eden, C Cook; L Rizzoli, M Manfredi, M Nocera; L Krumov, J Furno; LAndreani, M Kvesic, G Licata. Replacements: G Ribaldi for Manfredi (44 mins), R Kriel for van Wyk and P Buonfiglio for Rizolli (both 52 mins), M Hasa for Nocera (53 mins), D Ruggeri for Licata (56 mins), J Uys for Furno (62 mins), R Jeli for Cook (65 mins), A Rizz for Pani (67 mins).
CONNACHT: T O’Halloran; D Kilgallen, T Farrell, C Forde, J Porch; J Carty (capt), C Blade; D Buckley, D Tierney-Martin, J Aungier; J Murphy, N Murray; C Prendergast, C Oliver, J Butler. Replacements: S Hurley-Langton for Oliver (50 mins), K Marmion for Blade and A Byrne for Kilgallon (both 56 mins), E de Buitléar for Tierney Martin, D Murray for Murphy, J Duggan for Buckley, S Illo for Aungier (all 61 mins), T Daly for Forde (65 mins).
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
