Leinster Rugby vs Benetton Rugby

COUNTRY ITALY HOME GROUND STADIO COMUNALE DI MONIGO FOUNDED 1932
benetton
last time out
rugby
benetton rugby 33
glasgow warriors 11
FRI 16 SEP 17:30 | STADIO MONIGO | URC
Benetton Rugby
won their
opening match
of their 2022/23
BKT United Rugby
Championship
campaign in
Treviso against
Glasgow
Warriors,
playing for the
first time under
new head coach,
Franco Smith.
The home side ran
in four tries to
claim a deserved
33-11 victory.
images: inpho.ie
74 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Zander Fagerson’s second-half
try was not enough to spark a
fightback in northern Italy for
the Warriors, as the home side
claimed a bonus-point win to
claim the full set of spoils under
the floodlights.
With the Stadio Comunale di Monigo
in fine voice at the outset of a new
campaign, the opening exchanges were
dominated by the boot. Tom Jordan
showed some early nice touches with the
boot for the visitors but it would be the
home side who would trouble the scorers
first, with Rhyno Smith making no mistake
from the tee with 12 minutes played after
the Warriors were penalised for offside
at a lineout on their own 22.
It would be a lead that would last all
of three minutes, as the Warriors hit
straight back. When the home side were
penalised for not rolling away, it would
be George Horne who would take
advantage, knocking over the kick to
level the scores at 3-3.
Neither side were really able to establish
a rhythm as the opening quarter drew to
a close, with errors and the concession
of penalties putting paid to the attacks
of both teams. Yet the first try of the
match – and indeed of the URC season
– would go to Benetton; a counter-attack
from turnover ball saw the Italian side
set up camp in the Glasgow 22, before
Giacomo da Re’s floated pass over the
top gave Eduardo Padovani a run-in to
the corner. The conversion drifted wide,
but Benetton led 8-3 after 22 minutes.
Benetton were beginning to earn the
upper hand at the scrum, something
that would prove to be the catalyst for
their second try of the evening. Penalties
at successive scrums saw da Re direct
his team into the corner, and when
the lineout drive came on it would be