Academy graduate Matthew Devine inspires Connacht victory over Zebre

Academy graduate Matthew Devine impressed as Connacht blitzed Zebre 54-16 in the United Rugby Championship at Dexcom Stadium.

The 22-year-old scrum-half marked his maiden start with two first-half tries, as Pete Wilkins' side moved into a 21-11 lead by half-time.

Geronimo Prisciantelli and Simon Gesi both split the posts to sandwich Jacopo Trulla’s 20th-minute try, but JJ Hanrahan created and converted Niall Murray’s score out wide.

Tom Farrell, Sean O’Brien, Bundee Aki and Hanrahan – who finished with 17 points – boosted Connacht’s try haul to seven, before a 76th-minute penalty try for an illegally collapsed maul.

Replacement Enrico Lucchin’s breakaway try was the highlight of Zebre’s second half, which petered out with yellow cards for Danilo Fischetti and Andrea Zambonin.

Despite having centre Fetuli Paea sin binned for a high tackle on John Porch, Zebre took a 13th-minute lead through a Prisciantelli drop-goal.

Connacht were first to cross the whitewash though, as Devine sniped over from a tap penalty – despite tackles from Gonzalo Garcia and Zambonin. Hanrahan converted from the right.

Nonetheless, Shane Jennings failed to deal with a Prisciantelli grubber kick, allowing Trulla to nudge the ball on and touch down.

Again it was Devine who provided the spark for the hosts, breaking from a ruck 40 metres out to dart over near the posts.

A Gesi penalty closed the gap to 14-11, but Hanrahan’s well-weighted cross-field kick bounced up invitingly for Murray to raid over from the left.

In the 46th minute, Andrew Smith sliced through and although his pass was almost intercepted by Prisciantelli, it fell for Farrell to run in behind the posts.

Hanrahan converted and it was his midfield run that led to O’Brien’s 52nd-minute touchdown.