Heartbreak for Ospreys as Benetton snatch it

By ROB COLE

Benetton ……….. 18pts

Tries: Bernasconi 16, Da Re 76

Conversions: Umaga 17

Penalties: Umaga 65, 69

Ospreys …………. 13pts

Tries: Nagy 42, Davies 60

Penalties: Edwards 12

THE cruel bounce of the rugby ball did for the Ospreys after they looked set to cause a major upset at Benetton Rugby's Stadi di Monigo fortress.

Having led for much of the second half, they were level at 13-all when a huge kick downfield by the Italian side bounced up in the Ospreys 22 and hit Owen Williams in the head before going out for a home line-out. That gave them the platform from which they conjured up the winning try four minutes from time for replacement full back Giacomo Da Re.

Only the Lions and Munster had won in Treviso in the URC since October 2022 and for much of the game it looked as though the young Ospreys side were capable of following in their footsteps.

They made a great fist of things at the start and it was nothing more than they deserved when Wales U20 outside half Dan Edwards gave them the lead with a well-struck penalty in the 13th minute.

Jacob Umaga kicked a lot of the possession earned by the powerful home pack and it was one of his kicks to the corner after a scrum penalty that gave Benetton the chance to try out their most powerful weapon, their driving line-out maul. No fewer than 14 of their last 16 tries had come from the lineout and this was their launchpad again.

Although the Ospreys held up the drive, the advantage remained with the home forwards and eventually their Argentine hooker Bautista Bernasconi powered over at the posts for a try that Umaga easily improved. It would be another 48 minutes before they would add to their tally.

In between, the Ospreys hit back to regain the lead with Owen Williams steering the ship after Edwards was forced to retire after being levelled by a torpedo tackle from World Cup winner Malakai Fekitoa. Full-back Max Nagy struck 72 seconds into the second half with a break through a weak tackle by Umaga and then a 40 metre gallop to the line for a try in the right corner.

Five minutes later disaster struck for Nagy when he was tackled in the air over his own goalline and was forced to leave the field on a stretcher with a left ankle injury. Undeterred, the Ospreys drove on and a spectacular left footed 50-22 by Williams set up an attacking foothold from which Luke Davies eventually scored in the corner.

Umaga then levelled matters with two penlaites in the space of four minutes before Da Re grabbed the winner four minutes from time.