Dream debut for Ciarán Frawley with winning try for Connacht against Benetton

Connacht’s Ciaran Frawley scores a try despite Benetton's Matt Gallagher. Pic: ©INPHO/Matteo Ciambelli

Benetton 19 Connacht 22

Dream debuts don’t come much better than this as Ciarán Frawley got his Connacht career off to a flying start by scoring the winning try three minutes from time.

It was a second try of the night from the former Leinster player as Connacht came from behind to snatch it in the dying moments despite having just 40% possession in the game where Benetton had a 14-3 penalty count.

Stuart Lancaster’s had to saturate enormous pressure, not least in the scrum, but stayed in the game and snatched it at the death.

Frawley crowned a fine opening half with the try which pushed them 17-12 in front at the break after a scrappy opening half.

A couple of excellent kicks for territory helped Frawley settle in early on but it was some quick-thinking from Mack Hansen which eased early pressure from the Italians and set up the attack which yielded the opening try after five minutes.

Hansen took a quick throw deep inside his own 22 as Benetton ambled forward for the lineout and after Cathal Forde took it up from an offensive lineout, Sean Jansen sent Cian Prendergast away and the captain skipped out of two tackles to score.

Full-back Sam Gilbert continued with the kicking duties despite the arrival of Frawley, but he was off target with his first two conversions from the right.

Gilbert and Hansen were involved in setting up the second try with an out-the-back pass from Frawley creating the opportunity which was finished by Sean O’Brien.

That pushed Connacht 10-5 in front after hooker Bautista Bernasconi had scored from a lineout in the right corner and the Italians, who butchered a host of good possessions in attack, got it right six minutes from the break when Jacob Umaga and Matt Gallagher combined to send centre Leonardo Marin through for an excellent try from deep.

Frawley got his first Connacht score three minutes from the interval after exploiting a good loop created by a dummy run from hooker Matthew Victory, making his first start, to score beside the posts after shipping a couple of tackles. Gilbert added the convert this time.

Connacht lost tighthead Finlay Bealham to a yellow card for a high tackle before the break but escaped further sanction when Umaga kicked the penalty dead to sum up a frustrating half for them.

But they struck just as the sin binning was ending, going to the right corner and getting their maul right for hooker Bernasconi to get over with Umaga converting to lead 19-17 after 51 minutes.

Benetton, with a penalty count of 11-2 by the 64th minute, piled on the pressure. They were aided by Frawley kicking dead and from the counter Sam Illo got a great turnover inside his own 22 but they failed to clear their lines and ended up conceding a five-metre scrum.

They defended five scrums in a row, three of them resets, before turning over and lifting the six-minute siege through the superb Sean Jansen at a time when Benetton had chalked up 70% possession in the game.

Connacht hung in there and were rewarded. Gilbert cleared his lines down the right, replacement winger Shane Jennings won possession and quick hands from Niall Murray put replacement hooker Eoin de Buitlear away and he then set up Frawley who sped down the left to score three minutes from time.

Gilbert missed his third conversion to leave three between them but Connacht saw it out to claim the win.

Scorers for Benetton: Tries: B Bernasconi (2), L Marin. Cons: J Umaga (2).

Scorers for Connacht: Tries: C Frawley (2), C Prendergast, S O’Brien. Con: S Gilbert.

Benetton: M Gallagher; L Lynagh, P Odogwu (J Smith 30-41), L Marin, O Ratave (I Mendy 69, Smith 73); J Umaga, A Garbisi (A Uren 71); M Medrano (M Spagnolo 52), B Bernasconi (S Maile 59), S Ferrari (T Pasquali 55); N Cannone, F Ruzza; G Marini (S Fa’aso’o 71), M Lamaro, R Favretto.

Connacht: S Gilbert; F Treacy (S Illo 39-51, S Jennings 75), J Devine (J Ioane 690, C Forde, M Hansen; C Frawley, C Blade (C Reilly 71); F van Wyk (B Bohan 49), M Victory (E de Buitlear 50), F Bealham (Illo 51); D Murray, J Murphy (N Murray 60); C Prendergast, S O’Brien (P Boyle 55), S Jansen.

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland).