EUROPEAN SHIELD: Connacht - 61 Roma - 13: New Year starts do not come much better for Connacht than Saturday's victory over Roma in their European Shield clash at the Galway Sportsground. Connacht overwhelmed their Italian visitors to post their biggest win in European competition.
Although unable to qualify for this season's quarter-finals after back-to-back losses to leaders Sale, Connacht maintained their hopes of finishing second in their pool, despite facing a difficult away trip to Narbonne this week.
Saturday's game was over as a contest by half-time as Connacht led by 40 - 6. The first try came as early as the third minute when left-wing Wayne Munn broke three tackles to cross the line. Scrumhalf Eoin Reddan took advantage of a porous blindside defence to touch down for their second.
Hooker Marnus Uijs, returning from injury for his first match since the first leg away to Roma in early October, made his presence felt scoring two tries in four minutes, and before the break Munn scored his second. Lock Rowan Frost completed the first-half tally.
Connacht found themselves defending their own line for 15 minutes in the second half. The Italians had already scored their first away points in this campaign when Anthony Merlo converted two of four first-half penalties, but they never looked like breaking through the Connacht defence.
Munn notched his hat-trick on 59 minutes as Connacht raced away. Replacement Junior Charlie and full-back Mark McHugh finished the try tally for Connacht. Roma celebrated an injury-time try by Carlo Caoine.
Scoring sequence: 3 mins: Munn try, Elwood con 7-0; 7 mins: Merlo pen 7-3; 11 mins: Reddan try, Elwood con 14-3; 15 mins: Uijs try 19-3; 19 mins: Uijs try, Elwood con 26-3; 27 mins: Munn try, Elwood con 33-3; 33 mins: Frost try, Elwood con 40-3; 41 mins: Merlo pen 40-6; Half-time: 40-6. 59 min: Munn try, Elwood con 47-6; 78 mins: Charlie try, Elwood con 54-6; 80 mins: McHugh try, Elwood con 61-6; 84 mins: Caoine try, Merlo con 61-13.
CONNACHT: M McHugh, G Duffy, D Yapp, T Allnutt, W Munn, E Elwood, E Reddan, D McFarland, M Uijs, P Bracken, D Browne, R Frost, M Swift, J O'Connor, D Dillon. Replacements: P Duignan for Duffy (h-t), J Ferris for Reddan and C Rigney for Dillon (56 mins), R McCormack for Bracken and M McConnell for Browne (75 mins), R McCormack for Bracken and McConnell for Browne (65 mins), T Kearns for Swift (70 mins), J Charlie for Uijs (77 mins).
ROMA: A Onori, A Merlo, L Gorla, L Corona, A Ausiello, G Raineri, G Camardon, M Cuttitta, F Patrizi, M Pietrosanti, F Pennese, E Matrullo, F Spazzolini, C Caione, B Virgilio. Replacements: A Murrazzani for Pietrosanti (34 mins), F Roselli for Corona and A Casteliani for Cuttitta (58 mins), Pietrosanti for Spazzolini (69 mins).
Referee: J Hogg (Scotland).
