Connacht 46-18 Ospreys: Rampant Connacht score seven tries in dominant win

Free-scoring Connacht ran in seven tries to secure an impressive bonus-point win over Ospreys in challenging conditions at the Sportsground.

Mack Hansen, Shayne Bolton and Oran McNulty all crossed to give the hosts an 18-11 lead at the break.

Joe Hawkins' try kept the Welsh side in touch on the hour mark only for the Western province to pull away in the final quarter.

Connacht are now a point off Ospreys after their third win of the season.

Connacht showed no signs of rustiness as the United Rugby Championship returned from a five-week autumn break as they built impressively on their 36-11 win over Ulster last time out with another powerful display.

Andy Friend's side got off to a flying start when Jack Carty's long pass found winger Hansen, who stepped inside two defenders for the opening try in the third minute.

Stephen Myler and Carty traded penalties before 20-year-old Bolton finished off another quick Connacht move in style.

Caolin Blade crossed for Connacht's sixth try of the evening

Ospreys - who were without Gareth Anscombe, Alex Cuthbert, Tomas Francis and Adam Beard - hit back through Luke Morgan's 17th-minute score but the home side pulled clear once again as McNulty pounced on a defensive slip to cross before a Myler penalty cut the gap to seven at the break.

While Sammy Arnold's converted try put Connacht in the ascendancy once more, successive scrum penalties led to Rhys Webb releasing teenage centre Hawkins to go in under the posts for the visitors.

Just before the hour, Webb was well positioned to deny Connacht replacement Jack Aungier a try, but Morgan's high tackle on the newly introduced Peter Robb, as he sought to score in the right corner, was a killer blow, earning the Ospreys try-scorer a yellow card and the home side a penalty try.

That allowed Connacht to produce a grandstand finish with Caolin Blade and Conor Fitzgerald both crossing in the final 11 minutes to seal another emphatic win for the hosts.

Connacht: Oran McNulty; Alex Wootton, Shayne Bolton, Sammy Arnold, Mack Hansen; Jack Carty (capt), Kieran Marmion; Matthew Burke, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Niall Murray, Ultan Dillane, Jarrad Butler, Conor Oliver, Paul Boyle.

Replacements: Shane Delahunt, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, Oisín Dowling, Eoghan Masterson, Caolin Blade, Conor Fitzgerald, Peter Robb.

Ospreys: Dan Evans; Max Nagy, Owen Watkin, Joe Hawkins, Luke Morgan; Stephen Myler, Rhys Webb (capt); Nicky Smith, Elvis Taione, Tom Botha, Bradley Davies, Rhys Davies, Sam Cross, Jac Morgan, Ethan Roots.

Replacements: Sam Parry, Gareth Thomas, Rhys Henry, Will Griffiths, Morgan Morris, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Josh Thomas, Cai Evans.

Referee: Ben Blain (SRU)

Assistant referees: Peter Martin & Dan Carson (IRFU)

TMO: Andrew McMenemy (IRFU).