New-Look Connacht Victorious In Treviso

Connacht are off the mark in the Rabo Direct PRO12 after a hard-fought victory in the melting afternoon heat at Stadio di Monigo on Saturday.

Rodney Ah You’s first half try ultimately proved the difference between the sides as the visitors managed to overcome the difficult conditions and produce a performance underpinned by hard graft throughout.

Benetton Treviso won eight of their eleven league matches here last season, while Connacht had won just once on the road in three league campaigns.

Even without their Italian Rugby World Cup players, Franco Smith’s men were fancied to prevail here. Yet from an early stage it was clear that the sides were evenly matched overall with Connacht gaining a slight edge in set piece play.

The game was scrappy and mistakes were plentiful, but Connacht offered more in the first half and were perhaps disappointed to only lead by 8-3.

Two place-kicks had gone astray for lively young out-half Mathew Jarvis, who was making his competitive debut for the westerners.

Yreviso’s South African number 10 Williem de Waal kicked the opening score of the match after seventh minutes. He converted a straightforward penalty which proved to be the only score of an uneventful first quarter.

Referee Dudley Philips wisely allowed both sides a two minute water break midway through the half and in the second quarter of the contest, Connacht began to settle into their rhythm.

Returning number 8 George Naoupu broke from the base of a well-worked scrum, making 15 metres to set up the the visitors’ first score in the 28th minute.

Jarvis landed the resulting penalty and with two minutes remaining in the half he was involved in the game’s only try. A sharp attacking move off some good forward play in the middle of the field saw new centre Hery Fa’afili beat two tackles with a brilliant side step.

He duly released Jarvis and the 21-year-old former Osprey gained further ground before setting up the ruck from which powerful prop Ah You charged over.

The missed conversion and an earlier missed penalty were the only blotches on a good first 40 minutes as Connacht took an 8-3 lead into the break.

Jarvis split the posts with his second successful penalty, 16 minutes into the second period, to give Eric Elwood’s charges an eight-point buffer.

Treviso had their moments in the final quarter and de Waal kicked penalties after 64 and 74 minutes to offer hope of a revival.

Nonetheless, some heroic defence in their own 22 led by the likes of recent Ireland debutant Mike McCarthy and Michael Swift, the province’s most-capped player, saw Connacht prevail.

Speaking afterwards, Elwood underlined the significance of this opening round win. “We knew they’re in the middle of a bit of a heat wave here before we came over, so getting any sort of win in these conditions is great,” he said.

“Treviso won eight of eleven here last season so it’s a great result for us because they are going to cause a lot a teams a lot of problems this season.”