Two tries for Cooney as Connacht put hapless Italians to the sword

Zebre 10

Connacht 40

Rob Murphy in Parma

RUGBY in Parma is in a precarious state and it brings back memories of what Connacht went through in the last decade or so. The Zebre franchise as a whole, players, management and supporters, are knee deep in a crisis at the moment. A lot of money has been spent and the prospect of progress seems further away than ever after the season that has just gone.

A six try to one demolition job by Connacht made for a frosty post game Parma press conference. This felt like the epicentre of the existential crisis within Italian rugby. It brought back echoes of a time when Connacht were at a similar low ebb, perennial cannon fodder at the wrong end of the table. They are asking the same question here that those in this province asked in recent years. Put simply, what is the point of professional rugby in Italy?

Things have changed out west. Some outside-the-box, positive thinking and heart-on-sleeve ambition has helped while the back door ticket to Heineken Cup rugby a few years back was probably key also, but either way, Connacht are now a much more competitive and consistent force in this league and they are becoming the benchmark for the likes of Zebre.

Ten wins and a draw for a record 49 points in 21 games means Pat Lam’s side hold seventh place after this win. Their aim is sixth but the Scarlets hold a four point advantage and are looking forward to a trip to Treviso while Connacht face leaders the Ospreys and might well need a win to fend off Edinburgh who sit a point behind ahead of their game with Leinster. All games kick off at 3pm. It is likely to be an unusual Saturday..

After a run of five defeats in a row, victory was essential here and a stellar no nonsense second half display in the heat helped seal the points. Zebre just didn’t have the answers to the speed of the Connacht backline in the first half and they were a demoralised force by the 52nd minute when try number four was scored. The small crowds and indifference of locals to the game isn’t going to change if results like this continue.

While it would be easy to dismiss the result from a Connacht viewpoint as a fait accompli, the measure and poise shown was remarkable in itself. The ability to pounce on turnovers in a flash and well carved out runs by the likes of John Cooney and Matt Healy all served to underline why Connacht are a very different attacking force this year than they were in previous campaigns.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.