Connacht 38 - Treviso 6Rob Murphy at the Sportsground.
A return of 14 points from a possible 15 in three games is worth savouring for Connacht rugby folk.
Six weeks on from the nightmare show away to Saracens in the Heineken Cup, the young guns from the west are back on track and marching with a purposeful stride. Edinburgh, Zebre and Treviso have been brushed aside and everything feels a little brighter.
Painting a context for what Connacht are trying to achieve at this time of year just isn't easy. At the moment, there is no target for westerners other than to win as many games as they possibly can, or as Pat Lam would say, focus on processes and let results take of themselves and we saw a fine example of their focus on the finer details in one minor incident on Saturday evening.
At the final whistle, as the rain swept across the pitch towards Lough Atalia and the crowd acclaimed a five try triumph from their side, second half replacements Andrew Browne and Miah Nikora were in an animated conversation about a move that had happed just seconds earlier. Whatever it was, neither were happy with how it panned out and each was airing their views. A little sign that there is more to all of this than a win here or there.
Connacht are winning the games they should win on a more consistent basis these days and that's a carry over from the Eric Elwood regime. They won three in a row during the Six Nations window last year too but the difference this time is the additional bonus points for good measure, that in a sense is perhaps down to some new Lam processes.
Back to the context though, Connacht are playing for a seventh at this stage and a return of at least seven wins to match that of last year. There are six games left but away days at Scarlets, Ulster and Ospreys don't offer much, so the clash away to Dragons and home ties with Cardiff and even Munster are where the wins can come.
The Pro12 can be split easily between the characterless teams in disarray at the bottom and the well coached highly talented sides chasing the play offs. Connacht are starting to look like the one side in between all that. Too young and financially squeezed by the paymasters to be a play-off contender but too driven and determined to let the inept sides at the bottom over power them.
Ulster, Munster, Leinster, Ospreys, Glasgow and Scarlets are the well coached, well run sides. The elite six. Untouchable, almost unbeatable. Five other sides below are producing one shambolic display after another. The Dragons shipped a point a minute in the first half hour against Ulster, Edinburgh were abysmal and disinterested at the Sportsground in February, Cardiff are in freefall, the Italians haven't the playing resources and are losing heart.
You can't level such criticism at Connacht. The gutsy bonus point garnered away to Munster at Christmas was an example of the fight and determination that is in this side. The two defeats to Leinster, the home loss to Ulster are other examples and now this clinical run of three in a row without a host of frontline players.
In the absence of Jake Heenan, Willie Faloon, Craig Clarke and Brett Wilkinson, Connacht have had others come to the fore. The second row partnership of the Mick Kearney and Aly Muldowney stepped up on Saturday and were the standout duo on the field. Body on the line plays, big tackles, and commanding lineout play. Muldowney in particular highlighted his immense value.
The front row struggled a little for the first time in a while before the break but a quick word from coaches at half time seemed to do the trick as they came out all guns blazing after the break.
Eoin McKeon was dominant at number eight and totally in control on his return from injury and the half back pairing was completely in control with Dan Parks all of a sudden back to his very best and Kieran Marmion getting his sixth try of the season.
The tone was set early, wave upon wave of attack, well placed kicks from hand from Parks, bulldozing clear outs allowing Kieran Marmion time at the base and keeping the tempo at the rapid quick level. It all led to a disorganised defence from a Treviso side closer to full strength with their Italian internationals back.
The first try came from the backline after powerful forward work had set the platform in the 22, Eoin Griffin whipped a pass out wide to Robbie Henshaw, who brought it along the touchline, stood up the defender and timed a perfect inside pass to Fionn Carr who had taken a very nice line for his fourth try of the season.
The focus was clear for all to see, Parks converted, then John Muldoon burrowed over on 14 minutes not long after Matt Berquist had opened the scoring for Treviso. Parks conversion had Connacht 14-3 ahead at that point.
He and his kiwi opposite number exchanged penalties before the home juggernaut notched try number three just on the half hour mark with Kieran Marmion scampering through a huge gap. Treviso players remonstrated with Leighton Hodges on that one feeling a jersey pull had helped the home side. It was to no avail and the lead was 24-6 at halftime.
Lam said afterwards that the Saracens defeat had shaped the overall approach to this period of games but he honed in particular on the third quarter concession of three late tries in the 27-19 win over Zebre and pointed out that he challenged his team in the half time dressing room not to repeat that.
They didn't and while they laboured a little in the third quarter push for the bonus point try, it eventually came from a lineout, catch and drive with Muldoon again getting the touchdown on 63 minutes. McKeon crowned a fine game towards the end with a try of his own with four minutes to go. By that stage, Treviso had lost their shape with two men in the bin.
So that context is an emerging team, hamstrung but by no means giving up, young academy talent coming to the fore and a sense of belief that probably still stretches back to Toulouse in December. They might not nab more than one more big scalp before the season is out but the teams that should be beaten, probably will be beaten if this attitude persists and that's progress.
Connacht: R Henshaw; T O'Halloran, E Griffin, D McSharry, F Carr (D Poolman 63); D Parks (M Nikora 68), K Marmion (F Murphy 71); D Buckley (F Bealham 69), J Harris-Wright (D Heffernan 69), R Ah You (N White 57); A Muldowney, M Kearney (M Swift 63); J Muldoon, E Masterson (A Browne 52), E McKeon.
Treviso: A Esposito; L Nitoglia, A Sgarbi, J Van Niekerk, A Pratichetti; M Berquist, T Botes; M Muccignat (R Acosta 57), G Maistri (F Sbaraglini 52), L Cittadini (I Fernandez-Rouyet 62), ; A Pavanello, C Van Zyl (M Fuser 61); M Vosawai (R Barbieri 47), P Derbyshire (V Bernabo 48), M Filippucci.
Referee: L Hodges (Wales)
