Connacht have made a vital breakthrough into the URC's top eight with a deserved 34-57 nine-try bonus point win over Zebre.
It is timely move at this crunch time in the season, but there is still work to do to achieve their ambition of making European Cup next season.
Both Cardiff and Edinburgh are hot on Connacht's heels. And they are due to meet both clubs in back-to-back games in the Sportsground, in addition to away trips to the Dragons and Glasgow. All will provide a real challenge for Andy Friend’s side to continue this late winning surge.
Connacht, having raced into a 13-38 lead at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, then made hard work of it by conceding 21 points as the hosts closed the gap to just four by the 61st minute. And although Connacht pulled away in the end, it was not as comfortable as it could have been.
“It was nice to come away with five points, but we can’t afford to knock off like that, and it is not acceptable,” said coaching director Andy Friend. “What was good was the way we fought our way out of that hole. To score those late three tries, it ended up being a good win for us, and a win we needed. But we must make sure we are not doing that too often.
“We have the five points, which is what we wanted, scored nine tries. But definitely we let ourselves down in that second half, but pulled our way out.”
It was Connacht’s fourth hat-trick in succession - Tierney-Martin, following Caolin Blade, Finlay Bealham and Alex Wootton. The hooker had bagged his third by the 26th to help push Connacht into a 13-31 at the break, and Andy Friend’s side looked to be cruising to a comfortable victory over the Italian outfit, currently perched on the lowest rung of the URC ladder. When Diarmuid Kilgallon adding the sixth try, Connacht had extended the lead by 38-13 in the 43rd minute.
However Zebre, although without a win this season, have racked up eight bonus points courtesy of their and never-say-die attitude. By the 61st minute they had closed the gap to just four points with tries from Erich Cronje, Josh Furno, and Simone Gesi. It ensured a nervous final 20 minutes for the visitors, but with Jarrad Butler taking charge up front, and Kieran Marmion upping the pace, Connacht were able regain the initiative, with tries from replacements Adam Byrne, Marmion and debutant Eoin de Buitlear.
Connacht can thank the perfect start from the hooker, and although Zebre outhalf Tiff Eden was on target with two penalties, Conor Oliver provided the momentum for Tierney-Martin’s second. Four minutes later he struck for his third in similar fashion. Penalties continued to prove Zebre’s undoing when Tiernan O’Halloran took advantage to score the fourth try, and although a poach from quick-thinking Zebre scrumhalf Chris Cook sent left wing Simone Gesi on his way for a 34th try, Blade bagged his side’s fifth for a 13-31 half-time lead. It paved the way for their seventh win from 14 fixtures, maintaining their push for top eight qualification.
Zebre Parma : L Pani; K van Wyk, E Cronjé, E Lucchin (capt ), S Gesi; T Eden, C Cook, L Rizzoli, M Manfredi, M Nocera; L Krumov, J Furno; L Andreani, M Kvesic, G Licata.Replacements: G Ribaldi for Manfredi (44 ), R Kriel for van Wyk and P Buonfiglio for Rizolli (both 52 ), M Hasa for Nocera (53 ), D Ruggeri for Licata (56 ), J Uys for Furno (62 ), R Jeli for Cook (65 ), A Rizz for Pani (67 ).
Connacht: T O'Halloran; D Kilgallen, T Farrell, C Forde, J Porch; J Carty (capt ), C Blade; D Buckley, D Tierney-Martin, J Aungier; J Murphy, N Murray; C Prendergast, C Oliver, J Butler.Replacements: S Hurley-Langton for Oliver (50m ), K Marmion for Blade and A Byrne for Kilgallon (both 56 ), E de Buitléar for Tierney Martin, D Murray for Murphy, J Duggan for Buckley, S Illo for Aungier (all 61 ), T Daly for Forde (65 ).
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU ).
