Rugby Challenge Cup: Treviso tries, Toulon wakes up and wins 36-17

Too much Toulon for an excellent Benetton, who yields to Felix Mayol for 36-17. The dream of the Challenge Cup in Treviso is therefore shattered in the round of 16, however it comes out of Europe with its head held high. The great reaction of the second half was not enough, with which the lions returned to 17-3 even from 17-3 in favor of the hosts, before Carbonel’s solo and Coulon’s goal.

First half

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Rhyno Smith and Tomas Albornoz are back in the XV, and the start for Benetton could not have been the best. It is a grabber from the South African extreme that causes Villiere to forward into Racing’s 5, providing an excellent basis for the scrum in favor of Treviso. Despite a foul in favor of the hosts, the green-and-whites remain inside the red zone, taking advantage of a Tolofua error to place the illusory 0-3 with Smith’s foot. The reaction of the transalpines is not long in coming, with a lineout scheme that favors a defensive hole in which Carbonel quickly slips, good at serving Villiere who crushes the 5-3 in the middle of the poles, then transformed into seven points precisely by the opening of Toulon. Treviso tries to resume the game, however committing too many fouls that allow Toulon to go back up the field. At 28 ‘, the second goal for the hosts, who take advantage of another distraction of the defensive line with Ollivon for the 14-3. A few minutes later, Benetton would have a good opportunity inside the 22 opponents, but the Toulon pack is perfect in enclosing the ball carrier from Treviso, forcing a turnover. Fouls still condemn Treviso in the final of the first fraction, with the hosts who place the 17-3 with Carbonel and go to rest in numerical superiority thanks to the yellow to Caparro after the many calls of the referee Dickson.

Second half

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Coach Bortolami tries to shuffle the cards between the forwards by inserting Nemer and Els at the interval, closely followed by the entry of Pettinelli for the injury to Sebastian Negri, but the difficulties remain, especially due to numerical inferiority. As the minutes pass, the green-and-whites regain play, discipline and courage. A blaze from Ioane brings Benetton back to within 22 of the French, but the defense of Toulon seems to hold up the first impact, at least before Albornoz forcefully crushes the 17-8, canceled due to an obstruction by Smith against Villiere. But Treviso does not give up, on the contrary, it returns to the goal area a few minutes later with Menoncello, served in the strait by Brex; Smith signs the 17-10 which still gives hope to the green-and-whites. At 61 ‘, Ioane senses the direction of Blanc’s passage, breaking Wainiqolo’s attempt at tackling and flying undisturbed towards the goal, transformed by Smith for 17-17. It is Carbonel who returns the certainties of the first half in Toulon with three kicks that bring the hosts back over the break between 63 ‘and 73’. In the final, it is still the opening of the French that rounds the score to 29-17, before Coulon’s goal that puts the exclamation point on the match for the 36-17 which closes the contest.