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Benetton denied rare win on Irish soil as Connacht fight back after unravelling
By PA
Connacht started and finished strongly to beat Benetton in a 38-30 bonus-point victory in a topsy-turvy BKT United Rugby Championship clash.
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A first half at Dexcom Stadium which began so brightly for Connacht unravelled alarmingly as 27 unanswered points had Benetton on course for their first victory in Ireland since 2018.
They led 27-19 at half-time thanks to tries from Ignacio Mendy, Andy Uren and Marco Zanon, along with Tomas Albornoz’s accurate goal-kicking added 12 points.
Paul Boyle’s late try added to earlier efforts from Finn Treacy and Shayne Bolton before Shamus Hurley-Langton’s 47th-minute score made it a one-point game.
Albornoz tagged on a third penalty, but Pete Wilkins’ men took the spoils thanks to closing tries from Bolton and replacement Matthew Devine.
Academy wing Treacy won the race to his own fifth-minute kick through to mark his first senior start with a converted score.
Player-of-the-match Bolton then cut in from the opposite wing to make it 12 points in as many minutes.
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In response, Albornoz opened his account and Mendy popped up to finish an opportunist 19th-minute try.
Scrum-half Uren raided over in the 25th minute and Zanon’s quality finish in the right corner increased their lead to 24-12.
Despite another Albornoz penalty, Connacht rallied with number number Boyle burrowing over on the back of a Caolin Blade break.
The Irish hosts held on to the momentum, Hurley-Langton leaping over to give Josh Ioane a simple conversion.
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Albornoz took his tally to 15 points, yet Connacht’s bench brought plenty of impact. Ioane’s scooped pass put Bolton over down the right touchline.
Although the shot-clock ruled out Hanrahan’s conversion, a jinking Devine sliced over decisively from a 72nd-minute ruck.
Hanrahan converted this time and Connacht’s impressive defence, typified by replacement Sam Illo’s big tackle on Alessandro Izekor, sealed the deal.
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