United Rugby Championship: Connacht claim bonus-point home win over Benetton

Ireland international Mack Hansen returned to the Connacht side in their win

Connacht secured a bonus-point 38-19 win over Benetton in Galway to go ahead of them into 11th in the United Rugby Championship table.

Tries from Niall Murray and Paul Boyle, and a penalty from Jack Carty, put the hosts 17-7 ahead at the break, with Marcus Watson's try keeping Benetton in the game.

Finlay Bealham, Caolin Blade and Dylan Tierney-Martin added further home tries to put the game beyond doubt in the second half, with Marco Zanon and Tommaso Menoncello replying.

After a difficult start to the season, the hosts went into this game 13th in the URC table, with Benetton sitting two places above them.

Connacht head coach Andy Friend named a strong side, with returning Ireland winger Mack Hansen one of six Connacht changes following last week's 24-17 defeat by inter-provincial rivals Munster.

The game got off to a frenetic start, with both sides playing free-flowing rugby in front of a packed Sportsground.

Lock Murray got the hosts off to an ideal start with a fantastic solo try from the half-way line. A flat pass from Carty and an excellent line from Murray allowed him to slice through the Benetton defence and demonstrate his pace to cross the try line, with Carty adding the extras.

The visitors, who travelled to Galway having beaten Edinburgh at home last Saturday, hit back at the end of the first quarter with a try from winger Watson, who benefitted from the ball spilling out of the side of a Connacht ruck to collect and sprint over, with Jacob Umaga adding the extra points to draw them level.

The back-and-forth action continued, with a try from number eight Boyle who crashed over from a well-executed line-out move - a try, converted by Carty, that gave Connacht the momentum in the second quarter as they were on top in terms of territory and possession.

That momentum continued in the second half, with Bealham powering over from a short distance following patient build-up play in Benetton's 22.

The visitors fought back with a spell of sustained pressure on the Connacht line as replacement prop Thomas Gallo was held up due to excellent defensive work from eventual man-of-the-match Paul Boyle.

Benetton's period of pressure was soon rewarded, however, with a converted try from centre Zanon, who managed to find a way through the Connacht resistance as the game entered the final quarter.

Benetton's task became even more difficult when a red card was shown to lock Scott Scrafton for a high tackle on hooker Tierney-Martin and Connacht soon ran in another try as scrum-half Blade took advantage of tired defending from to extend the lead.

The game was out of reach when a 77th minute try from visiting centre Tommaso Menoncello was followed up by a late try from Connacht's replacement hooker Dylan Tierney-Martin following a powerful drive over the line from the back of a line-out maul.

That gave Friend's team their bonus-point victory and they now go level on points with Benetton but ahead on points difference in 11th place.

Connacht: Porch; Kilgallen, Farrell, Aki, Hansen; Carty, Marmion; Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham; Dowling, Murray; Prendergast, Oliver, Boyle.

Replacements: Tierney-Martin, Dooley, Aungier, Thornbury, Butler, Blade, Daly, O'Halloran.

Benetton: Smith; Watson, Menoncello, Zanon, Padovani; Umaga, Devenage; Nemer, Nicotera, Alongi; Cannone, Scrafton; Zuliani, Lamaro, Pettinelli.

Replacements: Frangini, Gallo, Tetaz, Lazzaroni, Izekor, Garbisi, Riero, Mendy.