Match Centre

Full Time

38 - 19

  • United Rugby Championship

  • Sat 3 Dec 2022 | 15:15

  • Dexcom Stadium

5
  • Murray 3'

  • Boyle 23'

  • Bealham 43'

  • Blade 66'

  • Tierney-Martin 80'

Tries

3
  • Watson 17'

  • Zanon 53'

  • Menoncello 78'

1
  • Carty 36'

Penalties

0
5
  • Carty 4'

  • Carty 23'

  • Carty 43'

  • Carty 67'

  • Carty 81'

Conversions

2
  • Umaga 18'

  • Umaga 54'

0

Red Cards

1
  • Scrafton 65'

Denis

Buckley

1

Ivan

Nemer

Dave

Heffernan

2

Giacomo

Nicotera

Finlay

Bealham

3

Filippo

Alongi

Oisin

Dowling

4

Niccolo

Cannone

Niall

Murray

5

Scott

Scrafton

Cian

Prendergast

6

Manuel

Zuliani

Conor

Oliver

7

Michele

Lamaro

Paul

Boyle

8

Giovanni

Pettinelli

Kieran

Marmion

9

Dewaldt

Duvenage

Jack

Carty

10

Jacob

Umaga

Mack

Hansen

11

Marcus

Watson

Bundee

Aki

12

Marco

Zanon

Tom

Farrell

13

Tommaso

Menoncello

Diarmuid

Kilgallen

14

Edoardo

Padovani

John

Porch

15

Rhyno

Smith

Replacements

Dylan

Tierney-Martin

16

Lapo

Frangini

Peter

Dooley

17

Thomas

Gallo

Jack

Aungier

18

Nahuel

Tetaz Chaparro

Gavin

Thornbury

19

Marco

Lazzaroni

Jarrad

Butler

20

Alessandro

Izekor

Caolin

Blade

21

Alessandro

Garbisi

Tom

Daly

22

Joaquin

Riera

Tiernan

O'Halloran

23

Ignacio

Mendy

81

It's all over! The referee has blown their whistle to end the game.

81

Jack Carty converts the try.

80

Connacht Rugby are stopped just a few metres from the try line but Dylan Tierney-Martin picks up from the base of the ruck to score the try.

80

This is dangerous for the defence as Dylan Tierney-Martin bursts through to advance the Connacht Rugby attack.

78

Jacob Umaga takes the conversion but it hits the upright and bounces away, kick unsuccessful.

78

A wonderful passing move by Benetton Rugby is finished off by Tommaso Menoncello

78

This is dangerous for the defence as Tommaso Menoncello bursts through to advance the Benetton Rugby attack.

77

Spellbinding play by Joaquin Riera is finished off with a try.

74

A gap opened in the defence and Joaquin Riera took full advantage.

74

A gap opened in the defence and Tommaso Menoncello took full advantage.

73

Benetton Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Lapo Frangini getting some game time.

73

Benetton Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Giacomo Nicotera being replaced.

72

Benetton Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Marco Lazzaroni getting some game time.

72

Benetton Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Niccolo Cannone being replaced.

71

Benetton Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Alessandro Izekor getting some game time.

71

Benetton Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Giovanni Pettinelli being replaced.

71

Benetton Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Ivan Nemer getting some game time.

71

Benetton Rugby decide to make a substitution, with Thomas Gallo being replaced.

70

A gap opened in the defence and Cian Prendergast took full advantage.

67

The Connacht Rugby supporters go wild as Jack Carty successfully kicks the conversion.

66

Connacht Rugby are only a few metres out, surely they must score! And they do with Caolin Blade touching down.

65

Benetton Rugby make a substitution with Joaquin Riera coming on.

65

Benetton Rugby make a substitution with Marco Zanon coming off.

65

Scott Scrafton (Benetton Rugby) is shown the red card

63

Connacht Rugby sub Tiernan O'Halloran comes onto the field.

63

Diarmuid Kilgallen departs for Connacht Rugby.

63

Connacht Rugby sub Jarrad Butler comes onto the field.

63

Conor Oliver departs for Connacht Rugby.

63

Benetton Rugby sub Alessandro Garbisi comes onto the field.

63

Dewaldt Duvenage departs for Benetton Rugby.

62

The defensive line has been broken as Diarmuid Kilgallen goes through the gap.

60

Connacht Rugby sub Caolin Blade comes onto the field.

60

Kieran Marmion departs for Connacht Rugby.

60

Connacht Rugby sub Tom Daly comes onto the field.

60

Tom Farrell departs for Connacht Rugby.

54

Gavin Thornbury comes on.

54

Niall Murray comes off.

54

The touch judges raise their flags as Jacob Umaga kicks the conversion.

53

Nothing was going to stop Marco Zanon from scoring as they record the try for Benetton Rugby.

52

Peter Dooley comes on.

52

Denis Buckley comes off.

52

Jack Aungier comes on.

52

Finlay Bealham comes off.

52

Dylan Tierney-Martin comes on.

52

Dave Heffernan comes off.

49

Jacob Umaga makes the break as the defence re-enacts the parting of the red sea.

43

Jack Carty adds the two points for Connacht Rugby.

43

The defence are desperately trying to hold out here but it was to no avail as Finlay Bealham dots the ball down from close range.

40

Fabulous play by Connacht Rugby has led to Bundee Aki being able to wriggle through a gap.

40

The second half kicks off.

40

Benetton Rugby sub Thomas Gallo comes onto the field.

40

Ivan Nemer departs for Benetton Rugby.

40

The half-time whistle blows and both teams head for the dressing rooms.

38

Fabulous play by Connacht Rugby has led to Tom Farrell being able to wriggle through a gap.

36

Jack Carty has kicked a penalty goal.

34

Fabulous play by Benetton Rugby has led to Tommaso Menoncello being able to wriggle through a gap.

32

Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro comes on for Benetton Rugby.

32

Filippo Alongi leaves the field.

23

Jack Carty makes no mistake with that conversion attempt.

23

A wonderful passing move by Connacht Rugby is finished off by Paul Boyle

23

This is dangerous for the defence as Paul Boyle bursts through to advance the Connacht Rugby attack.

23

That's a great try assist by Bundee Aki.

19

Benetton Rugby make a substitution with Ignacio Mendy coming on.

19

Benetton Rugby make a substitution with Rhyno Smith coming off.

18

Jacob Umaga converts the try.

17

Marcus Watson goes on their own for a try.

17

This is dangerous for the defence as Marcus Watson bursts through to advance the Benetton Rugby attack.

17

Scott Scrafton sets up the try.

12

A gap opened in the defence and Diarmuid Kilgallen took full advantage.

10

A gap opened in the defence and Marcus Watson took full advantage.

5

The defensive line has been broken as Jacob Umaga goes through the gap.

4

Jack Carty has kicked a conversion.

3

A stunning solo try from Niall Murray

3

The defensive line has been broken as Niall Murray goes through the gap.

3

Jack Carty sets up the try.

2

The defensive line has been broken as Giacomo Nicotera goes through the gap.

0

We are underway as the referee blows their whistle.

Match Stats

51%

Possession

49%

51%

Territory

49%

Metres

480

620

Carries

114

135

Clean Breaks

8

9

Defenders Beaten

25

30

Passes

176

208

Offloads

7

10

Penalties Conceded

7

13

Turnovers Conceded

17

17

183/213 86%

Tackles won

155/180 86%

5/5 100%

Scrums won

6/8 75%

15/16 94%

Lineouts won

8/10 80%

Action Areas

3.7%

2.7%

15.5%

18.3%

14.5%

17.2%

14%

14%

Player Stats

Connacht Rugby

MP

M

C

P

T

MT

TW

TC

DB

LW

TS

PTS

Denis Buckley

52

2

4

1

5

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Dave Heffernan

52

14

5

2

10

0

0

0

0

10

0

0

Finlay Bealham

52

3

4

2

9

0

1

0

1

0

1

5

Oisin Dowling

80

8

6

4

21

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Niall Murray

55

58

5

6

8

3

0

0

4

0

1

5

Cian Prendergast

80

35

9

5

13

1

0

0

2

0

0

0

Conor Oliver

63

7

6

4

13

5

1

0

0

0

0

0

Paul Boyle

80

56

14

5

20

1

1

1

3

0

1

5

Kieran Marmion

60

6

3

55

9

1

0

0

1

0

0

0

Jack Carty

80

0

0

33

9

1

0

0

0

0

0

13

Mack Hansen

80

44

11

11

5

0

2

0

3

0

0

0

Bundee Aki

80

20

9

15

7

3

0

0

1

0

0

0

Tom Farrell

60

45

8

3

11

0

1

1

4

0

0

0

Diarmuid Kilgallen

63

57

6

3

4

3

0

0

2

0

0

0

John Porch

80

57

8

5

5

4

1

0

1

0

0

0

Dylan Tierney-Martin

28

7

4

1

10

1

1

0

0

5

1

5

Peter Dooley

28

0

1

1

3

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Jack Aungier

28

0

1

0

9

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Gavin Thornbury

25

2

1

2

2

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Jarrad Butler

17

0

0

3

4

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Caolin Blade

20

20

4

12

3

1

1

0

2

0

1

5

Tom Daly

20

4

1

3

3

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Tiernan O'Halloran

17

35

4

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

CONNACHT 38-19 BENETTON

A man-of-the-match performance from Paul Boyle helped Connacht to a deserved bonus point win over Benetton at The Sportsground this afternoon.

Tries from Niall Murray, Boyle, Finlay Bealham and Caolin Blade were enough to give Connacht the five points in what was the first game under the new Sportsground lights.

The cliché would be that Connacht needed a good start to justify the favourites tag, and that’s exactly what they did in the first 5 minutes. Following a good defensive set, a line break from Niall Murray on the half-way line brought Connacht deep into the 22, and the Roscommon man found an excellent turn of pace to touch down beside the posts. Carty added the extras and Connacht found themselves a converted try ahead.

Not for the first time this season Connacht’s try concession came out of nothing, as the ball squirted out of a ruck on the sideline and Benetton had a two on one which was capitalised by Marcus Watson to level the game.

The second quarter was dominated by the hosts as they added 10 more points to scoreboard, but they could’ve and arguably should’ve added more. Paul Boyle got Connacht’s second of the game with a lovely first phase move off a 5 metre lineout, and Carty added two more. Multiple more visits to the Benetton 22 followed for the rest of the half but Connacht were unable to capitalise, with a mixture of penalty concessions and the ball held up inside the Benetton line.

Eventually the captain decided to take the points on offer and Carty added a penalty to make it 17-7 at the break.

Whatever was said in the Connacht dressing room at half-time paid dividends as the squad came out all guns blazing. Some excellent attacking phases brought them a few metres short, and this time they didn’t repeat the mistakes of the first half as Finlay Bealham touched down under the sticks.

Unfortunately any momentum they were hoping to build from there didn’t materialise, and it was arguably the hosts who were on top for the rest of the quarter. A second try followed as a result of a line break deep inside the Connacht half along the Clan Stand side, and after some repeated penalties Marco Zonan added the five for the visitors.

Any hope of a Benetton comeback was effectively ended when Scott Scrafton received a red card for a high challenge on Dylan Tierney-Martin, and it didn’t take long for Connacht to make the extra man count as Caolin Blade crossed over for the vital fourth try.

The gloss was then added by Tierney-Martin for his first home try for the club, powering over past the 80th minute.