Connacht secured an eight-try 48-27 bonus-point victory over Zebre Parma at Dexcom Stadium on Friday, October 23, 2026, moving up to sixth position in the United Rugby Championship table.
The bonus-point triumph lifts Connacht temporarily up to sixth position in the standings. The western province put on a dominant first-half display in round four of the United Rugby Championship.
They crossed the whitewash five times before the interval to establish a commanding 33-17 lead. Head coach Stuart Lancaster handed debuts to new signings Jerry Cahir and Will Connors.
He welcomed back international returnees Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham to the matchday squad.
Zebre Strikes Early Before Connacht Responds
Zebre struck first in Galway when flanker Giacomo Ferrari crossed for an early try after just five minutes following a botched lineout from the hosts. Giovanni Montemauri missed the conversion, leaving the visitors ahead briefly before Connacht found their rhythm.
Sean Jansen then powered over from a midfield break created by Mack Hansen. Cathal Forde finished a slick backline move.
Sam Gilbert crossed from a lineout attack. Ciarán Frawley successfully kicked four first-half conversions to help establish the bonus-point advantage before the half-hour mark.
Zebre refused to fold entirely before the break. Jacopo Botturi crossed following a fortunate grubber kick.
Mirko Belloni dotted down in the corner after a flowing attack that exposed Connacht’s defense out wide. Sandwiched between those scores, skipper Cian Prendergast touched down for his third try in his last two games, leaving the halftime score at 33-17.
Substitutes Seal the Bonus Points
The tempo of the match dropped noticeably after the restart as both sides turned to their replacements. Paul Boyle was held up over the line before Mack Hansen raced back to prevent another score for the visitors.
Dave Heffernan made an immediate impact off the bench after returning from injury. He crossed from a driving maul in the 55th minute to register Connacht’s sixth try.
Harry West followed up shortly afterward with the hosts’ seventh try of the evening with 13 minutes remaining.
Zebre secured their first point of the season and a well-earned try bonus point in the closing stages. Giampietro Ribaldi powered over from close range.
Bautista Staville added a fifth try for the visitors inside the final ten minutes. Heffernan had the final say in the closing seconds, rumbling over from another rolling maul to seal the 48-27 scoreline.
Lancaster Reflects on Eight-Try Victory
Speaking after the full-time whistle, Stuart Lancaster reflected on the mixed nature of an eight-try performance that also conceded five tries to the league’s bottom-placed side. Despite the glut of five-pointers in Galway, the province has scored 24 and conceded 23 tries so far this season. There was also some satisfaction for Andy Farrell, who named five Connacht players in his Nations Championship squad in midweek.
“Delighted to get the win,” head coach Stuart Lancaster told RTÉ Sport afterwards. “If you’d said to me at the start of the day, you would get close to 50 points, I’d have taken it. We were disappointed to lose against Stormers here and not get a bonus point out of it. Then to come close at Glasgow as well. We’ve won two, lost two in the league. I know from last season you’ve got to be winning 10, 11 of your games out of the 18 to get in the top eight. So we’ve got some work to do.”
Stuart Lancaster, head coach via Rte
The bonus-point triumph lifts Connacht temporarily up to sixth position in the standings ahead of Saturday’s remaining fixtures, while Zebre Parma remains rooted to the bottom of the table under referee Hanru van Rooyen of South Africa.