The round of 16 of the Challenge Cup is already a reality for Benetton. In fact, Treviso beats Bayonne 26-7 and qualifies for the next round: on Saturday 21 January at 4.15 pm against the Stade Francais, the certainty of playing the next match once again at Monigo is up for grabs, a facility that this year is a stronghold for the Leoni (only one loss, in the United Rugby Championship against the South African Bulls).
Yet it was not easy, indeed. Treviso starts contracted, always remains in the half of the transalpines, but messing around too much. Hidalgo-Clyne tries to give speed but certain mechanisms seem to be missing. Thus Bayonne found the advantage almost by chance, in the 17th minute, finding the green-and-whites’ central defense unprepared (in Challenge gear, a nice blue-gold suit) with Orabe, undisturbed on the flag.
At 30′, as if by magic, the bell rings. And the Lions suddenly transform from tame purring animals to terrifying beings with claws, hitting the goal three times in 8 minutes. First it’s Ruzza who bites towards the posts, an oval darting to the right where Kiki Mendy finds himself on a deserted highway to support in goal, then it’s Niccolò Cannone’s turn twice to tear the prey to pieces, breaking through on the center-left where Bayonne staggers like hell. Albornoz transformed two out of three, and that was enough for Treviso to make room for the Monigo children on 19-7. French actually in the match despite having passed the metacampo only on one occasion…
The recovery begins along the lines of the first part of the match, with Treviso at times in confusion, although aware of being able to dominate the match. The applause meter goes haywire in the 52nd minute due to Ruzza’s exit, while Bayonne tries to regroup after Cridge’s yellow card.
Three tries in Treviso are not enough, the bonus is needed to extend in the “extended” standings of the Challenge Cup and thus book the round of 16 at home. But Bortolami’s team stays close to him for a long time, the swirl of substitutions maybe doesn’t help even if Albanese stands out for a pure striker’s starting point, with five-a-side football and a follow-up tackle from the past.
Treviso continues to lean on Niccolò Cannone (deserved man of the match) and Brex, the latter forced out by a blow to his left eyebrow (he will come back after a medical pit-stop), while Bayonne takes courage and shows herself ahead: bravo Minozzi to cancel by receiving a cross kick in the goal area.
10′ from the end Treviso decides that the time has come to push to find the bonus: Ratave and above all Brex (great inspiration to cut the French defense in two like a knife) always the most active, then the Bayonne scrum collapses, Umaga goes for the touchline from 5 meters, the maul doesn’t break through but there is an authentic magic of Ratave who swallows three opponents and goes to score the goal of the bonus which is worth the final 26-7.