The first leg of Connacht’s mid-season tour hasn’t gotten off to the ideal start as they trail by one try in the Stadio Monigo to Benetton Treviso.
Connacht currently trailing 7-0 to Benetton at the half-time break of the #GUINNESSPRO14 clash. A late-half try by the home side proves a blow to Kieran Keane's Connacht team #BENvCON pic.twitter.com/vHyBEZIDXR
— Sportsfile (@sportsfile) February 24, 2018
Tito Tebaldi won a line-out on 35 minutes before going over the whitewash before Marty Banks converted to give the Italians a 7-0 lead in the Guinness PRO14 championship.
Connacht created numerous chances with Eoin Griffin threatening early. But they also had to watch the hosts who came close to tries earlier with Denis Buckley and Matt Healy making crucial blocks.
What a tackle from @heals102! 💪💪 The @connachtrugby wing gets back to deny @BenettonRugby the first try of the afternoon 👏
Catch all the action live on Live on @SportTG4 and @Eurosport_IT #GUINNESSPRO14 #BENvCON 📺 pic.twitter.com/PrjKwJWn6n
— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) February 24, 2018
Jack Carty missed an early penalty attempt and afterwards, Connacht opted to kick for touch trying to unlock any deficiencies. But they have conceded fouls themselves and will need to be alert having lost in the Sportsground to another Italian outfit, Treviso, eight days earlier.
Kieran Keane’s men travel to face the Toyota Cheetahs in South Africa next Saturday but if they don’t turn things around here and suffer a second loss, they could be leaving their Champions Cup ambitions in Europe before their trip to the Southern Hemisphere.
At best, they’ll rely on the Challenge Cup campaign to rejoin Europe’s top sides as they already trail Cardiff Blues by five points.
Scorers:
Benetton – Tito Tebaldi (5 – try), Marty Banks (2 – conversion)
