Benetton ……..35
Stade F ………..32
BENETTON couldn't quite make it to the top of Pool B – but they put in a determined display to edge Stade Français and earn themselves a playoff place.
Scarlets finish top of the pool with four wins out of four – but the Italian side are not far behind with three wins, and their bonus-point victory at the Stadio Comunale di Monigo means they have a home tie in the round of 16.
Tries came courtesy of a brace from Mattia Bellini, Tommaso Menoncello and Rhyno Smith, who also slotted a drop-goal. Tomas Albornoz added three conversions and two penalties.
Stade Français, on the other hand, got five tries, with Kylan Hamdaoui, Sekou Macalou, Sione Tui, Giorgi Tsutskiridze and Peniasi Dakuwaqa all going over – but it was the lack of extras that made the difference, with just two conversions and one penalty bolstering their score.
They won't be too disheartened, though, because their two losing bonus points also saw them through to the knockout stage.
TEAMS
BENETTON: Smith, Padovani, Brex, Menoncello, Bellini, Albornoz, Garbisi (Duvenage 55); Zani (Tetaz 50), Nicotera, Ferrari (Pasquali 53), Cannone, Ruzza, Da Oleggio (Stowers 59), Zuliani, Lamaro (c)
Not used: Arroyo, Favretto, Umaga, Zanon
STADE FRANCAIS: Hamdaoui, Tui, Delbouis, Arrate (Glover 67), Ahmed (Dakuwaqa 66), Barre (Parra 63), Coville; Abramishvili (Castets 59), Panis (c) (Peyresblanques 10-50), Emile (Koch 50), Huguen (Timani 67), van der Mescht (Chapuis 24), Tsutskeridze, Macalou, Scelzo
REFEREE: Jack Makepeace
ATTENDANCE: 3,892
Star man Tomas Albornoz – Benetton
