Connacht 53 Benetton Treviso 5
On a day when Connacht celebrated Robbie Henshaw's first try and man of the match display in an Ireland shirt, Pat Lam's men ensured they maintained their push for Champions Cup rugby with a convincing bonus-point winning display at the Galway Sportsground.
Connacht secured their ninth Guinness Pro 12 win with a seven-try haul to consolidate their sixth place and push them five points clear of the chasing Scarlets.
With six games remaining - four of which are against title-chasing teams - Connacht could not afford to slip up and although Treviso put up a first-half fight, they had wrapped up the fourth try and bonus point by the 57th minute.
Connacht profited early on from phase play before left wing Matt Healy set up the opening try. Coming off his wing, he found the gap before delivering to fullback Tieran O'Halloran on the right touchline, who, in his first start of the season, sidestepped his opposite number to touch down. Outhalf Craig Ronaldson added the first of his 18 points.
Benetton, despite playing tails-up rugby, missed a 19th minute penalty when Connacht were pinged at the breakdown, and although they spent 10 minutes attacking the home side’s line, Connacht won a penalty from their dominant scrum to relieve the pressure before Ronaldson extended their lead to 13- 0 after 30 minutes.
However the Italians battled on and although a rolling maul stuttered, centre John Samuel Christie ran a direct line at pace to claim a deserved try. Although fullback Jayden Hayward missed the conversion, Treviso kept Connacht pinned inside their own half until the break.
A foot in touch prevented Matt Healy from bagging a second Connacht try immediately after the restart, but forwards and backs combined minutes later to drive over the line with flanker Jake Heenan touching down. Ronaldson converted from the touchline to give the home side a 20-5 lead.
Matt Healy grabbed try number three on 51 minutes, finishing off a sparkling back-line move in the left corner, and after more one-way traffic, Connacht secured the bonus point when the pack once again sent Treviso reeling and prop Denis Buckley secured the touchdown. Ronaldson added both conversions for a 34-5 lead. Before the end Muldowney and Healy, with his second, and Daniel Poolman, in his 50th appearance, crossed the line.
Connacht: T O'Halloran, N Adeolokun, D Poolman, D McSharry, M Healy, C Ronaldson, J Cooney, D Buckley, T McCartney, R Ah You, Q Roux, A Muldowney, J Muldoon (cpt), J Heenan, E Masterson.
Replacements, C Finn for Adeolokun (41m), M Kearney for Roux (42m), G Naoupu for Masterson (52m), S Delahunt for McCartney, R Loughney for Buckley and I Porter for Cooney (all 57m), F Bealham for Ah You (62m), J Carty for O’Halloran (66m).
Treviso: J Hayward, S Ragusi, A Pratichetti, S Christie, L Nitoglia, J Ambrosini, A Lucchese, M Zanusso, D Giazzon (cpt), R Harden, T Vallejos, M Swanepoel, N Cattina, D Budd, M Luamanu. Replacements, H Seniloli for Lucchesse (32m), R Acosta for Zanusso, S Manu for R Harden, and M Barbini for N Cattina (all 41m), A Pavenello for T Vallejos (48m), J Carlisle for Hayward (52m), R Acosta for Giazzon (63), R Seniloli for (66m),
Yellow cards: S Manu (70m)
Referee: A McMcMenemy (SRU).
