Connacht beat Zebre 48:27 with eight tries — BBC Sport

Irish side Connacht defeated Zebre 48:27 in a fourth-round United Rugby Championship match at Dexcom Stadium in Ireland. The hosts scored eight tries, earned a bonus point and moved up to sixth place in the standings, BBC Sport reports.

Five tries before the break

Zebre opened the scoring in the fifth minute through a try by flanker Giacomo Ferrari, but Giovanni Montemauri missed the conversion. Connacht responded with four tries in 15 minutes, scored by Finlay Bealham, Sean Jansen, Cathal Forde and Sam Gilbert.

Jacopo Botturi scored a try for the visitors, but Prendergast increased the hosts' lead again. Before the break, Mirco Belloni finished a Zebre scoring move, but Connacht went into the interval leading 33:17.

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Heffernan scores twice

The pace of the game slowed in the second half. Dave Heffernan, who made his first start of the season after recovering from injury, scored Connacht's sixth try in the 60th minute. Soon afterwards, West added another try for the hosts.

Zebre earned their first point of the season thanks to a try bonus: Giampietro Ribaldi and Bautista Stavile scored in the second half. In the final seconds, Heffernan completed his double by scoring from a maul near the try line. Sam Gilbert missed the conversion of the final try, and Zebre remained bottom of the URC.