Rugby, Rhyno Smith leads Benetton: the derby is from Treviso

Zebras crushed by the South African, author of three goals and infallible to the foot. Padovani and Bellini also scored, finishing 39-17

TREVISO. Mister Smith is certainly no ordinary mister. The South African of Benetton is the undisputed star of the derby which sees Benetton in triumph: three goals from the utility back, 100 percent to the foot with two placed in addition. Performance to be framed that makes the Monigo audience peel their hands.

There is (and God forbid) also the coach Kieran Crowley in the stands to monitor with Goosens and Franco Smith the many blues on the field. The undisputed protagonist, however, comes from the other side of the globe. Rhyno Smith is as far away as there can be from a diesel: it takes him 50 seconds to reach the goal in the first half and 110 at the start of the second. A splinter. Both actions are to be shown to the minirugby to show the cunning of the attacker (amazing in the second half to take advantage of a kick that falls in the free zone between the extreme and the wing of the Zebras, touch of the foot in advance before gliding between the posts) and the ingenuity of the defense (in the first half the sleep of the Parma inhabitants is like those of winter hibernation).

Benetton that in addition to Smith had also started strong with Fede Ruzza, author of a dance step like Nureyev before going to crush, but the tmo “unmasks” an oval that escapes him before hitting the big target. But the Benetton turns a thousand, and it is Edo Padovani who is freed to go undisturbed for a walk under the poles.

A one-two that would have knocked out even a top boxer, let alone the bottom team in the standings. But no, the Zebras don’t give up and first shorten with a Canna square, then find the right hole with Trulla. Treviso tries to get back to the right pace but plays in flashes, and the first half goes to the archive at 14-10.

Said of Smith’s try at the beginning of the second half, then it is the South African extreme himself who puts an easy place between the posts: 24-10. But there is an ingenuity of Bellini who gets the yellow in the 50 ‘for voluntary forward, so Bortolami takes the opportunity to change a few things, proposing first of all Duvenage and Drago (this time Menoncello not phenomenal, Garbisi a little more ‘cumbersome) So, where did Smith go? Here he appears again in the 55th minute, this time in a wing version, drinking three men to go and create his very personal hat-trick (with an attached transformation, of course).

Behind, however, there is still dancing: it is still Trulla who goes to offer the support to go and deposit comfortably on the flag. 31-17.

The game, which has now taken off, instead pulls the handbrake when Cronje’s left knee gives way, out to the cheers of encouragement from Monigo. Clearly Rhyno is not on the right day to grant discounts, and still scores with a placed for his 29th point of the day, 2 ‘from the end Bellini imitates him for his first try in green and white (right against his former team) . It ends 39-17.

Benetton then conquers the 5 points that allow them to temporarily bypass Cardiff, waiting to finish the season on Friday evening, again in Monigo, right against the Blues: the kick-off will be at 7pm.