Connacht make four changes as Finn Treacy handed first start

A late home win over Cardiff last time out has given them hope and another bonus point win against the Italians would give them a fighting chance.

Fri, 28 Feb, 2025 - 12:32

John Fallon

Connacht coach Pete Wilkins said they have left themselves with very little wriggle room if they are to have any chance of making the knockout stages of the URC but another bonus point win when they take on Benetton this Saturday evening (7.35pm) will keep their hopes alive.

Seven losses in eleven league games this season — and just three wins from six at Dexcom Stadium in Galway — has left Connacht struggling to make the top half which would ensure a knockout place in the URC and, more importantly given the opening of €40m new stand next season — a spot in the Champions Cup.

A late home win over Cardiff last time out has given them hope and another bonus point win against the Italians would give them a fighting chance.

“There’s a pressure because we left ourselves with work to do at this stage of the season. If we manage to take the maximum from this game we put ourselves in a position where all of a sudden we’re in the top eight and top seeds in the Challenge Cup,” said Wilkins.

“The whole narrative around the team changes very quickly, but, equally, we’ve got to do the business.

“At this stage of the season, and particularly in these make-or-break games, like the Cardiff game, like the Benetton game coming up, the knock-out games in Europe, your efficiency once you get to the attacking end of the field, and your ability to get teams leaving without points when they’re at your end, is just so, so significant. So a lot of our time has been focused on those couple of areas.”

Connacht have won 16 of the 23 league meetings with Benetton — there has been one draw — and the Treviso side have not won in Galway since 2011.

Benetton come to Galway on the back of three wins in their last four URC games, taking on a Connacht side who have won just one of their last five league matches.

The Connacht team shows four changes from that which ended a four-match losing run when they struck late for a 24-19 bonus point win over Cardiff at Dexcom Stadium.

Two of the changes are at the back with Caolin Blade coming in for injured scrum-half Ben Murphy, while academy winger Finn Treacy will make his first start having debuted off the bench against Glasgow in January. He replaces Chay Mullins on the left wing.

The two changes up front are in the second row where Darragh Murray and David O’Connor take over from Josh Murphy and Joe Joyce. Replacement hooker Dylan Tierney-Martin will make his 50th appearance for his native province off a bench that has a five-three split.

Benetton will be without most of their Italian internationals but still bring a decent side to Galway which includes former Munster players Malakai Fekitoa and Matt Gallagher in the three-quarters.

CONNACHT: P O’Conor; S Bolton, H Gavin, C Forde, F Treacy; J Ioane, C Blade; P Dooley, D Heffernan, J Aungier; D Murray, D O’Connor; C Prendergast, S Hurley-Langton, P Boyle.

Replacements: D Tierney-Martin, D Buckley, S Illo, J Murphy, O Dowling, M Devine, JJ Hanrahan, D Hawkshaw.

BENETTON: R Smith; I Mendy, M Zanon, M Fekitoa, M Gallagher; T Albornoz, A Uren; T Gallo, B Bernasconi, G Zilocchi; G Marini, E Snyman; A Izekor, J Kingi, T Halafihi.

Replacements: A Creevy, N Tetaz Chaparro, T Pasquali, R Favretto, S Koroiyadi, A Garbisi, J Umaga, F Zanandrea.

Referee: B Breakspear (Wales).