Rugby Urc: Cardiff-Benetton Treviso 22-23, Zebre-Ulster 36-40

Benetton’s United Rugby Championship got off to a great start, conquering Cardiff in a very tight match, decided by a great comeback in the second half (they were 19-3 down after half an hour) and Jacob Umaga’s kick from midfield a minute from the end end. The green-and-whites break the away curse (7 away defeats out of 9 in the last tournament) and are bidding for a place in the playoffs, a declared seasonal objective. In Parma, Zebre were beaten 40-36 after a game full of emotions: Roselli’s team had to settle for 2 bonus points.

Horror departure

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It had started very badly, with Cardiff dominant in the match point and an undisciplined Benetton (9 free kicks conceded in the first half hour) and still stuck together. After Umaga’s first kick Cardiff scores 3 tries in 31 minutes with Belcher, Carré and Bevan. In the final the green and whites find themselves and score with Lucchesi, after a great advancing maul. The first half ends 19-10, but the goal is the sign that something is changing.

Rimontona

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The entry of the Italians Zani and Ferrari, returning from the World Cup, changes the inertia of the scrum, then after 3 points each with Umaga and De Beer in the 63rd minute the genius of Albornoz – who recovers a ball in the middle on the fly to 4 Welshmen – the game definitively reopens. Umaga scores again in the 66th minute to make it 22-20, Benetton launches into attack and earns the winning free kick in the 79th minute. Senseless tackle by Parker, who hits Ferrari with a shoulder in the face: direct red card and free kick from 47 metres. Umaga has the coolness to put in the winning ball: 23-22 Benetto with 4 fundamental points.

Zebras, what a shame

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The Zebre score 6 tries and come close to a resounding success against Ulster, one of the favorites for the title, after a first half that closed with a 26-21 lead: Licata’s brace, tries by Pani and Gregory for the home team; Flannery, Stockdale and Lowry scored for the guests. In the second half, Gesi scored again for 31-21 (the missed conversions by Prisciantelli weighed heavily) then the Irish changed gear and went on a 19-0 run with a brace from Steward and another try from Stockdale. It seems over, but the Zebre come back with another try from Gesi (magic from Fusco) and launch the assault in the final: the melee earns 4 kicks in a row, but the knockout blow is missed. It ends 40-36 for Ulster, 2 bonus points for the Zebre.