Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Benetton dramatically beat Cardiff to create Italian rugby history

By PA
(Photo by Alfio Guarise/LiveMedia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Benetton made history by becoming the first Italian team to reach the semi-finals of a European tournament as they came from behind to beat two-time EPCR Challenge Cup champions Cardiff 27-23 at Stadio Monigo.

ADVERTISEMENT

Having built up a 10-point lead in the first half, the home side found themselves trailing by 10 after a bad start to the second period, but hit back to clinch the win – and a semi-final trip to Toulon – with a juggling corner try from Marcus Watson with 10 minutes to go.

Cardiff director of rugby Dai Young had asked for the same intensity as his team had shown a week earlier when they dumped Sale Sharks out of the competition and his players certainly came out of the blocks right from the kick-off.

Video Spacer

Rugby Explorer | Italy

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      Video Spacer

      Rugby Explorer | Italy

      Leading by example, skipper Josh Turnbull turned over a ruck on the home 22 to set up Rhys Priestland for his first shot at goal with 38 seconds showing on the clock. Back in his favoured number 10 role after a starring performance at full-back against Sale, the former Wales international gave his side an immediate lead.

      It did not take long for Jacob Umaga to level things up for the home side and it was the Italians who were on the front foot for much of the rest of the first half.

      A second Umaga penalty gave them the lead in the 11th minute before South African full-back Rhyno Smith galloped over in the right corner for the first try of the match midway through the opening period. Umaga’s conversion made it a 10-point gap, but Cardiff cut that to three by the break after Thomas Young pounced following a piece of good fortune in the home 22.

      Tomos Williams ran up the blindside from a scrum near halfway and his chip ahead allowed Owen Lane to chase it down and try to regather. He stumbled as he tried to catch the ball, but somehow rolled it backwards. Young was on hand to pick up and race over. Referee Luke Pearce declared a try and the TMO confirmed it after a review.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      Priestland’s touchline conversion made it a one-score game and then turned the scoreboard on its head at the start of the second half. Within three minutes of the restart, it was Priestland’s penalty that levelled the scores and then he converted a great try by Wales centre Mason Grady off the left touchline.

      All of a sudden, there was daylight for Cardiff at 20-13 and they seemed to be on their way to the final four. Back-to-back penalties allowed Benetton to kick their way into the corner and from the lineout, they battered away at the Cardiff line until Italian national captain Michele Lamaro found a gap through which to score.

      Umaga’s conversion made it 20-20, but five minutes later Priestland banged over a 42-metre penalty to give his side the lead once again. But Benetton refused to be denied and after kicking deep into the Cardiff 22 once again they sent Watson racing in at the corner for a try which Tomas Albornoz converted off the touchline to force Cardiff to score more than a penalty to win.

      Benetton then defended their line superbly at the death, winning a scrum after holding up a driving line-out before successfully holding out a final attack in their 22 which ended with Lopeti Timani being penalised for a neck roll.

      ADVERTISEMENT
      ADVERTISEMENT
      LIVE

      Whanganui vs The Classics

      Classic Wallabies vs British & Irish Legends | First Match | Full Match Replay

      Did the Lions loosies get away with murder? And revisiting the Springboks lift | Whistle Watch

      The First Test, Visiting The Great Barrier Reef & Poetry with Pierre | Ep 6: The Ultimate Test

      KOKO Show | July 22nd | Full Throttle with Brisbane Test Review and Melbourne Preview

      New Zealand v South Africa | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

      USA vs England | Men's International | Full Match Replay

      France v Argentina | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

      Lions Share | Episode 4

      Trending on RugbyPass

      Comments

      0 Comments
      Be the first to comment...

      Join free and tell us what you really think!

      Sign up for free
      ADVERTISEMENT

      Latest Features

      Comments on RugbyPass

      J
      JW 35 minutes ago
      Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan

      Well there’s a couple of distinctions here that are important aren’t there?


      First though like I replied to Tk where does it say theres need to test vets, or proven reliable players? It is simply ‘test quality’.


      Now, I have created a list that I think is test quality, so all weve got to do is upskill the missing pieces right? No. Razor might not mean to have given every player half a dozen matchs but he will want to have identified and assured himself that each individual is indeed test quality. So yes, plays like Darry and Lord may still be included in a few squads and used so he’s happy to include them as say 5th and 6th ranked locks, but that doesn’t mean he needs to go to the same level to ensure for himself the 7th and 8th ranked locks.


      He might be happy basing performances off SR Finals, or organizing an AB XV match against a team like France or SA with similar locking depth (even organizing say Warner Dearns to be part of the Japan XV etc), and I’m sure they’re going to have a very large squad over in South Africa for two months.


      I don’t think he is quite in the same predicament as SA to have to rest top stars. And this is obviously just goal setting, they’re supposed to be hard. As you can see by the context around this series, arbitrary targets like everyone getting some minutes are made. That could also simply be how he ensures he has met the 4. So hookers would be ticked, as he’s already used 5 at test level. If you looked at the Baabaas SA game you’d see Beehre performing like an accomplished test player, that already makes 7 locks with more than 2 full seasons to go. You take the point BA was making about Marshalls previous remarks about Razor want players to be able to play 3/4/5 different positions, that would mean if Razor was really happy with Finau at lock last week he already has 8 test quality locks as well, etc, etc.


      TLDR sorry for the big reply, it’s just a goal, the teams not going to suddenly fail if he doesn’t reach it, I think theres many means and many players for him to be comfortable in getting 4 in each position. He’s obviously not going to be able to get 4 proven, hardened test players in each by then, no.

      135 Go to comments
      LONG READ
      LONG READ Harness Skelton's might and move Sua'ali'i: How the Wallabies can fix things for Test two Harness Skelton's might and move Sua'ali'i: How the Wallabies can fix things for Test two