United Rugby Championship: Connacht 54-16 Zebre - Connacht score eight tries against Zebre to secure bonus point win

Devine scored two of Connacht's eight tries

Connacht have kept their hopes of a URC play-off spot alive with a 54-16 bonus-point win over Zebre at the Sportsground.

Connacht scrum-half Matthew Devine touched down twice in the first half with Niall Murray also scoring for the Irish province before the break.

Enrico Lucchin and Jacopo Trulla notched tries for the visitors.

However, tries from Tom Farrell, Sean O'Brien, Bundee Aki, JJ Hanrahan and a penalty try saw the hosts to a big win.

On a night when Finlay Bealham made his landmark 200th appearance for the club, academy graduate Matthew Devine enjoyed an impressive performance on his first start for the province.

The bonus-point win helps Pete Wilkins' side back up to ninth in the table, one place outside the play-offs, with only four league games remaining.

A frenetic start yielded no points for either side, however a yellow card for a high tackle for Zebre centre Fetuli Paea handed the hosts an early advantage.

Geronimo Prisciantelli broke the deadlock with a drop-goal for the visitors, but Connacht hit back almost immediately with an opportunistic try from Devine who took a quick-tap penalty before jinking over for the opening try.

Zebre hit back, with a delicate grubber kick from Prisciantelli causing issues for Shane Jennings who fumbled the ball, leaving winger Trulla to ground the ball to give his side a brief lead.

Devine continued his dream first start with his second try in the opening 23 minutes, finding a gap at the side of a ruck before demonstrating his pace and agility to scamper over to put his side ahead.

A penalty from Simone Gesi put his side briefly within touching distance. However, the hosts would go ahead before the break, with second row Niall Murray collecting a cross-kick on the wing before crossing for his side's third try. JJ Hanrahan added the extras to maintain his perfect record from the kicking tee.

Connacht scored five of their tries after the break

After the break, a superb outside break and inside pass from winger Andrew Smith assisted Tom Farrell who touched down for the bonus point try.

The Irish side started to dominate in terms of territory and possession and a further try from Sean O'Brien seemed to put the hosts out of reach.

Replacement Enrico Lucchin touched down for what would prove to be a consolation try for the visitors, however yellow cards for Andrea Zambonin and Danilo Fischetti did not help their cause.

Bundee Aki's score from a lineout maul put the game beyond doubt and a JJ Hanrahan try followed by a penalty try capped off the crucial bonus-point win.

Line-ups

Connacht: Jennings; Porch, Farrell, Aki, Smith; Hanrahan, Devine; Duggan, Heffernan (capt), Bealham; Joyce, Murray; Hurley-Langton, Oliver, O'Brien.

Replacements: McElroy, Dooley, Illo, Dowling, Butler, Blade, Forde, Boyle.

Zebre: Pani; Trulla, Gregory, Paea, Gesi; Prisciantelli, Garcia; Hasa, Ribaldi, Pitinari; Krumov, Zambonin; Volpi, Ruggeri, Licata (capt).

Replacements: Di Bartolomeo, Fischetti, Genovese, Canali, Bianchi, Dominguez, Smith Jr, Lucchin.

Sin-bin: Paea (6), Fischetti (67), Zambonin (76)

Match officials

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron

TMO: Colin Brett

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