ZEBRE 7-52 CONNACHT
They may have started the season slowly but Connacht are up and sprinting now. The westerners ran in seven tries and were awarded a penalty try for good, dominant measure.
The Guinness PRO12 champions destroyed 14-man Zebre in a match that featured the most obvious bite you will ever see in a rugby match.
Connacht, who along with Zebre paid their silent respects to Anthony Foley before the match, were already 14-0 up before the red card incident. Stacey Ili and Jack Carty had crossed for tries that were converted by inside centre Craig Ronaldson.
With Sean O’Brien in the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on, Connacht were scrapping hard when the biting incident occurred. Lock Quinn Roux was on the deck under a heap of bodies when Zebre hooker Oliviero Fabiani sank his teeth into the crook of his arm.
Bite in the Connacht match. Not good. pic.twitter.com/Ia8Vpe8vjJ
— david murphy (@DavejMurph) October 23, 2016
The video replays were not kind as his day was done. He can expect to receive a hefty ban in the coming days.
After the break, and restored to 15 men, Connacht went for the kill. Ili got over for his second soon after the restart and the hunt was on for the bonus point. It arrived midway through the half when the Connacht pack’s ceaseless pressure forced a penalty try decision.
Still, there was time for more. Cian Kelleher continued his excellent start to the season with a well taken try and Conor Carey helped himself to a score.
Zebre answered back with a try from replacement hooker Tommaso D’Apice but their race was more than run. None of the defeated Italians will thank Fabiani for his chomping ways.
There was still time for Ili to race over for his hat-trick try. Another find plucked from relative Kiwi obscurity. Pat Lam is making this a superb habit.
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