United Rugby Championship: Connacht earn 34-7 bonus-point win over Bulls

Mack Hansen was among Connacht's try-scorers in Galway

Connacht pulled clear in the second half to earn a 34-7 bonus-point win over Blue Bulls in the United Rugby Championship clash in Galway.

Lizo Gqoboka's try was cancelled out by a Tiernan O'Halloran score with Jack Carty's conversion and further penalty putting Connacht 10-7 up at half-time.

Further tries from Tom Daly and Australian flyer Mack Hansen saw Andy Friend's men take control.

Centres Tom Farrell and Daly crossed late on make it a resounding victory.

After last weekend's 31-3 defeat by Leinster, the Bulls made a flying start in Galway as Zak Burger's break, combined with some sharp passing, set up prop Gqoboka to score from close range, with Johan Goosen converted.

Connacht, beaten in their opener in Cardiff, hit back in the 15th minute with a well-driven maul splintering the defence before slick hands in midfield put full-back O'Halloran over before Carty levelled with the conversion.

Both teams left chances behind them, the hosts narrowly missing out when John Porch's score was ruled out following a TMO review for a forward pass by Daly with Arno Botha was guilty of going off his feet just as the Bulls were poised to score in the 28th minute.

In the end, a Carty penalty managed to split the sides by the break.

Early in the second half, Daly finished powerfully past Ruan Combrinck after Connacht had worn down the visitors' defence, with Carty's extras increasing the advantage to 10 points.

Then it was Hansen's turn to gobble up a Bulls kick and break free from 60 metres out as he cut in from the left, beating the cover to draw the biggest cheer of the night on his home debut.

It was a frustrating night for Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee and his team-mates, who struggled with their discipline at times.

As the rain came down, Carty released Farrell for a free-flowing fourth try before Daly bludgeoned his way over right at the death.

Connacht: O'Halloran, Porch, Farrell, Daly, Hansen, Carty, Marmion, Duggan, Heffernan, Bealham, Dowling, Dillane, Prendergast, Butler, Papali'i.

Replacements: Delahunt, Burke, Aungier, Fifita, Oliver, Blade, Boyle, Arnold.

Blue Bulls: Combrinck, Hendricks, Mapoe, Vorster, Jacobs, Goosen, Z. Burger, Gqoboka, Van Zyl, van Rooyen, W. Steenkamp, Nortje, Coetzee, Botha, Louw.

Replacements: du Plessis, Matanzima, M. Smith, Swanepoel, Du Plessis, Papier, C. Smith, Gans.

Referee: Ben Blain (Scotland).