Connacht leaked two converted tries in the second half as Benetton Treviso emerged as comfortable winners of tonight’s RaboDirect PRO12 tie at Stadio di Monigo.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: BENETTON TREVISO 23 CONNACHT 3
Franco Smith’s side led 9-0 after an error-strewn and scrum-dominated first half, during which Dan Parks missed one shot at goal and his half-back partner Paul O’Donohoe was sin-binned.
A number of Connacht’s big players failed to perform – Parks and Gavin Duffy chief amongst them – and the team’s high error count will make for uneasy viewing in the review session.
Parks did land a 51st minute penalty, but just moments later Alessandro Zanni registered the opening try for Treviso and Connacht, who picked up some hampering injuries, made it far too easy for the Italians to wrap it up from there.
Robert Barbieri’s 68th-minute sin-binning falled to knock Treviso off their stride and some poor defending was exposed for replacement Luca Morisi’s clinching score late on.
Duffy created an early opening as he split the Treviso defensive line and launched a chip and chase, but the hosts were quick off the mark too with Edoardo Gori wriggling his way through midfield.
The Connacht defence came under further pressure when Alberto di Bernardo sent Alberto de Marchi charging towards the province’s posts.
The big prop was hauled down short and referee Neil Hennessy promptly sin-binned O’Donohoe for an infringement. The simple penalty was tapped over by out-half di Bernardo.
Parks missed an immediate opportunity to respond, dropping a long range penalty short, however the visitors did well to force a turnover and retain possession as the time ticked down for the sidelined O’Donohoe.
Following the scrum half’s return, Connacht had further defending to do against an energetic Treviso outfit, a muscular steal from late inclusion Brian Murphy and strong running from Jake Heenan clawing back some much-needed territory.
Indeed, the westerners threatened the Treviso try-line when neat passing released Tiernan O’Halloran for the right corner. The Italians though had numbers there and he was quickly closed down.
A poach from Heenan rescued Connacht as Treviso flooded forward once more, but full-back Duffy was not having one of his best nights – throwing poor passes to Danie Poolman and Fionn Carr which led to Treviso scrums.
Connacht had to cope with injuries to prop Ronan Loughney and his replacement Nathan White, and a harsh penalty call against flanker Heenan, who thought he had wriggled free from a tackle, allowed di Bernardo to double Treviso’s lead.
Another infringement in the final minute – collapsing a purposeful maul from Treviso – led to di Bernardo’s third successful kick and Connacht went in at the break nine points down.
A free-flowing move involving Brendan Williams, Michele Campagnaro and Gori almost led to a Treviso try on the resumption, the retreating Duffy and O’Halloran needing to be on their toes to halt the attack and force a penalty.
There was some encouragement for Pat Lam’s men when a brilliant break from Carr got them on the move, however there was a distinct lack of support for the blonde-topped winger. The territory he gleaned did help win a penalty which Parks put through the posts.
But that concession only served to fire Smith’s charges up and when Duffy was unable to pluck a loose pass out of the air near his line, Treviso snaffled it on the ground and swiftly set up Zanni for his 52nd minute try.
The conversion was added with aplomb by replacement Tobie Botes, strengthening the Italians’ grip on proceedings. As if to emphasise this, Zanni’s fellow flanker Simone Favaro was then inches short of scoring in the same left corner.
Into the final quarter, Connacht’s bench got them back on track – young half-backs Jack Carty and Kieran Marmion showing well, in particular.
There was a sense that the province could get something out of the game after Treviso number 8 Barbieri was yellow carded for obstruction at a ruck.
Connacht kept pressing but lacked any real penetration and as they tired, the errors continued to rack up.
It was left to Treviso to have the final say, Morisi evading Poolman’s grasp on his way in behind the posts, with Botes’ conversion confirming a 20-point winning margin.
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