Connacht crashed out of this season's European Challenge Cup despite high hopes of success when Italian outfit Benetton delivered a comprehensive 41-19 victory to advance to the quarter-finals.
It is not the first time the Italian side has prevailed in Treviso - two years ago they forced Connacht's exit from the Rainbow Cup, winning 20-12, but last weekend's performance was all the more comprehensive, controlled and complete as they dominated the proceedings at a fast and furious pace, and Connacht struggled with both the heat and Italian physicality.
“They just seemed to grow and we didn’t," said coaching director Andy Friend, "and that's probably the disappointing thing, the way we wilted. We need to show a lot more fight than that.
“We're now out of the Challenge Cup, which was something we were really targeting - so disappointed and very frustrated."
Despite a bright start in their bid to make the quarter-finals, having opened a 12-0 lead, Connacht produced a surprising error-ridden, lacklustre, and disjointed display unlike their season to date.
“We were turning over possession, some of our kicks were quite loose, our set piece just wasn’t there, so maybe it's just one of those days. The heat was definitely a factor, but the bottom line is it was not a good performance."
Now with an unexpected week without a game, Connacht’s focus will return to the URC with games against Cardiff and Glasgow in their bid to nail that Champions Cup place and hopefully a play-off.
“We're in a good position there. Now we need to capitalise on that and hopefully stay in that top eight and get ourselves in the quarter-finals.”
Their European challenge had looked so promising against the Italians when John Porch took a great line between Jacob Umaga and Dewaldt Duvenage to break into the 22 with Conor Oliver crashing over. Outhalf David Hawkshaw missed the conversion, but Connacht were back on the attack soon after with John Porch adding try number two for a 0-12 lead.
The game’s momentum then took a huge swing, and the home side, despite having lost three of the last four games, never looked back. Combining their strength up front, they exposed Connacht’s defence, and before the break had racked up three tries from right wing Marcus Watson, fullback Rhyno Smith and left wing Edoardo Padovani, all converted by Umaga for a 21-12 half-time lead.
Connacht, missing leaders Jack Carty and Jarrad Butler - the backrow player having been pulled on the last training run - coughed up possession and lost their shape. When Watson exploited a huge gap in defence to stroll in from 10 metres. And any hopes of a comeback were doused when the home side added another try on 52 minutes - Umaga delivering a long looping pass to give Watson had an easy stroll to the line for the fourth try.
Connacht substitutes did provide some impetus, particularly Cathal Forde, who creating space for John Porch to finish, and added the conversion to narrow the gap 33-19.
But they simply could not control possession, and big name players such as Bundee Aki, failed to make an impact. The momentum was all with the willing Italians who rubbed more salt into the wound when Federico Ruzza added a try and Umaga a penalty to deservedly march into the quarter-finals.
Connacht may well rue their loss to Newcastle which changed the course of this competition from home to away fixtures - but it will certainly focus the mind on the final matches in the URC - hard to see such a shapeless performance again this season.
Benetton: R Smith, E Padovani, N Brex, T Menoncello, M Watson, J Umaga, D Duvenage (c ), N Tetaz, G Nicotera, T Pasquali, N Cannone, F Ruzza, S Negri Da Oleggio, M Lamaro, H Stowers. Replacements: S Maile for Nicoterra (50 ), M Zuliani for Stowers (54 ), F Alongi for Pasquali (59m ), T Albornoz for Padovani (62 ), T Gallo for Tetiz, A Izekor for Lamaro, and R Favretto for N Cannone (all 69 ), A Garbisi for Menoncello (73 ).
Connacht: T O'Halloran, J Porch, T Farrell, B Aki, M Hansen, D Hawkshaw, C Blade (c ), P Dooley, D Heffernan, J Aungier, S Fifita, N Murray, C Prendergast, C Oliver, P Boyle. Replacements: S Jennings for O’Halloran (39-41m ), D Tierney Martin for Heffernan (HT ), J Duggan for Dooley, S Hurley-Langton for Boyle and S Illo for Aungier (all 47 ), O Dowling for Fifita, Jennings for O’Halloran, Forde for Hawkshaw (all 55 ), K Marmion for Blade (57 ).
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England ).
