Evening all.

You join us just in time for the start of the Heineken Cup weekend. Before we get down to the ifs and buts of permutations and top eight calculations, we have this cut-and-dried winning for pride scenario for Connacht and Zebre.

As ever in Galway, it’s gonna be epic.

So, here comes Mauro Bergamasco leading his team in front of the Shed.

Nathan White following close. So here’s the rest of the supporting cast.

Connacht: R Henshaw; T O’Halloran, E Griffin, D McSharry, F Vainikolo; D Parks, K Marmion; B Wilkinson, J Harris-Wright, N White (c); M Swift, M McCarthy; M Kearney, J O’Connor, A Browne.

Replacements: E Reynecke, JP Cooney, R Loughney, D Gannon, E Grace, P O’Donohoe, M Nikora, D Poolman.

Zebre: T Tebaldi; G Venditti, R Quartaroli, M Pratichetti, R Trevisan; D Halangahu, A Chillon; S Perugini, D Giazzon, L Redolfini; M van Vuuren, J Sole; E Caffini, M Bergamasco (c), F Ferrarini.

Replacements: C Festuccia, M Aguero, D Ryan, N Belardo, A Manici, L Martinelli, A Chiesa, S Pace.

KICK OFF We’re under way and Connacht go through the first set of phases.

The home side are in their grey kit, in front a a relatively subdued crowd the set ends with a decent territory kick from Vainikolo pinning Zebre in their 22.

Zebre kick their way out and a little bit of tennis ensues before Robbie Henshaw makes a massive line-break with a superb angle in midfield. That’s why the kid is with the Wolfhounds.

Unfortunately, after making it to the 22 the Italians turn it over and survive again.

And on Zebre’s first foray to the 22, Connacht show their own breakdown skills and turn the ball over.

They try to run from deep, but just forced one offload too many and the ball comes off Vainikolo’s knee and Zebre are awarded the scrum on 22.

Superb scrummaging from Nathan White. Connacht disrupt the first Zebre set-piece on their own feed send the Italians back-peddling to concede a penalty.

After Parks drills the ball up-field. McSharry carries the ball into contact off a line-out move and Giazzon is whistled for going in from the side.

PENALTY: Connacht 3 – 0 Zebre (Parks ’10)

From 40 metres and central, the old Scot sends the ball sailing between the posts.

PENALTY: Connacht 3 – 3 Zebre (Halangahu ’12)

It’s a worrying trend for Irish teams this season. Straight from the kick-off Connacht concede a penalty in their own 22. Brett Wilkinson not rolling away quickly enough after Michael Swift collected the restart.

Dan Parks knew the advantage was coming when he attempted a big drop goal. That effort dropped just short, but he was on target off the tee.

PENALTY: Connacht 6 – 3 Zebre (Parks ’16)

Connacht starting to really strengthen a grip on this game, but as Parks attempts a long kick to the corner, he just misjudges the angle and we have to come all the way back to for a Connacht scrum on half way.

The front row flexes a collective muscle again, with Brett Wilkinson drawing a penalty from Redolfini. Connacht move into the 22, but a BIG hit from the young number eight Ferrarini drives Harris-Wright back and forces another grey shirt to go in from the side.

DROP GOAL: Connacht 9 – 3 Zebre (Parks ’24)

A messy line-out (spilled down by Swift) is taken on by White at the second time of asking. Another penalty is signalled against the visitors as Marmion whips the ball back to Parks. This time the drop goal is good.

With the penalty count rising it will soon be time for a yellow card, and had the referee seen Ferrarini’s latest big hit it would surely have gone his way.

The number eight barged in on Marmion a good second and a half after the scrum-half had cleared a box kick.

PENALTY: Connacht 9 – 6 Zebre (Halangahu ’27)

They’re still hanging in there. Connacht need to just turn the heat up a tad in the 10 minutes before half time. The crowd could help them in that regard.

In tonight’s other game, Harlequins have just taken a 10 -3 lead in Biarritz. We’ll have a full report on that when this game is done.

PENALTY: Connacht 12 – 6 Zebre (Parks ‘ 33)

Parks dinks a nice kick over the defensive line and Trevisan has to collect on his five-metre line whilst being wrapped up by O’Halloran and McSharry.

A penalty that close to the line, you would expect a final warning to be issued, but this ill discipline looks set to continue.

A scrappy Zebre scrum draws us near to an end of a scrappy half. Before we get there though, there is … well, a scrap. Johnny O’Connor and Mauro Bergamasco do a small bit of grappling before going their separate ways.

HALF TIME: Connacht 12- 6 Zebre

The flags at the Sportsground indicate the Connacht will have the wind at their backs in the second half.

Zebre get us under way, they’ve launched a few replacements from the bench including former Munster prop Dave Ryan.

Two new fron rows, but same old trouble for Zebre. Connacht send the first scrum of the half spinning and Parks launches a kick from halfway right up to the Zebre five metre line.

The line-out is starting to function too and Connacht try to widen their attack. They have to come back for a penalty, however. They opt for a scrum, which results in another penalty, another scrum v.

PENALTY TRY: Connacht 19 – 6 Zebre

There’s the breakthrough. By the time the Connacht pack had stopped moving forward, Perugini was stood near fully upright.

PENALTY: Connacht 19 – 9 Zebre (Halangahu ’49)

Going down to that score seems to have loosened up Zebre. They are taking the ball on, breaking tackles and putting a positive spin on the game.

Only that penalty try separates the sides now.

PENALTY: Connacht 19 – 12 Zebre (Halangahu ’52)

Tiernan O’Halloran for one is trying to inject some impetus back in Connacht’s moves. The winger looks to make a break in midfield, but is wrapped up.

Halangahu will have enjoyed the last cameo, a nice grubber to the corner. Dan Parks covering the left side could only fumble the ball backwards before having to kick the ball straight out.

The Italians smell an upset.

Connacht send the maul back-peddling, but Festuccia spins off the back and the striped shirts go rumbling towards the posts.

Connacht survive!

Martinelli attempts a snipe, but his offload from the deck hits Dave Ryan on the head and Connacht win a penalty through Marmion.

Oh… TMO. Trevisan looked to be in the corner comfortably.

TRY: Connacht 19 – 17 Zebre (Trevisan ’58)

Venditti fully exploits a gap left by Marmion and busts his way up through the middle. He feeds Pratichetti who, in turn, offloads to Trevisan who slides to the corner on his knees, riding a tackle and touching down.

Halangahu chooses the moment to deliver his worst kick of the night. Connacht retain a narrow lead.

The home pack are able to come back to basics with a scrum and Dave Ryan is penalised.

Parks lines up a sub-40 metre kick on the angle from the right, but it clips the outside of the near post.

Trevisan is getting a lot of possession. His latest brings a delayed penalty as the touch judge reckons Henshaw obstructed him. To us, it looked a little bought.

Zebre bang the penalty into the corner and Michael Swift is penalised at the line-out. Connacht trail.

PENALTY Connacht 19 – 20 Zebre (Halangahu ’69)

Zebre are 10 minutes away from their first ever win, but a nice switch pass from Henshaw to McSharry opens up the defence before White carries and draws a penalty from Van Vuuren just inside the 40 metre mark.

PENALTY: Connacht 22 – 20 Zebre (Parks ’71)

Now Connacht are on their game. Henshaw, makes another big break down the left. Is taken down by a high arm and he momentarily appeals before offloading.

The ball is briefly spun wide to Parks before the Scot wisely asks Mike McCarthy to take the ball in again.

A phase later, Paul O’Donohoe lays the ball back to the pocket.

DROP GOAL: Connacht 25 – 20 Zebre (Parks ’75)

Clutch!

Connacht are hanging on again as Zebre rumble a maul to within a metre of the try-line.

Once it collapses, though. It’s fair game and Connacht almost instantly win the pill back for O’Donohoe to smash upfield.

As Alan Quinlan names Robbie Henshaw man of the match, Connacht hold up the latest Zebre attack and force a scrum. The clock is red, however and the referee brings a sigh of relief to Galway by blowing the full-time whistle.

FULL TIME Connacht 25 – 20 Zebre

So there you have it.

12 games, two years, four wins, eight defeats and a whole lot of blood, sweat and more blood and more sweat spilled by Connacht in their Heineken Cup journey.

It didn’t end with a bang, but in a difficult season for Elwood, his side were able to kick into an extra gear at exactly the point they needed to.

Now, it’s a fortnight off for Connacht before getting back to the bread-and-butter of the Pro12. They’ll watch the latter stages of the Heineken Cup from afar, hoping an Irish side can win again and save them from the Amlin Challenge Cup.

Thanks, Eric. Thanks, Connacht. It’s been a wild ride.