Glasgow Warriors suffered a devastating late defeat at Stadio Comunale di Monigo as replacement full-back Rhyno Smith slotted a last-gasp drop goal from 40 metres to secure Benetton a dramatic 16-14 victory in the United Rugby Championship. For the second successive weekend, a Scottish side endured last-minute heartbreak in northern Italy, and just like Edinburgh in Parma seven days earlier, Glasgow got exactly what they deserved after throwing away the strongest of positions.
Key moments
9′ – Jacob Umaga penalty attempt drifts wide (0-0)
19′ – Jare Oguntibeju try from close range, Adam Hastings converts (0-7)
25′ – Jacob Umaga penalty goal (3-7)
29′ – Josh McKay try from halfway, Adam Hastings converts (3-14)
33′ – Adam Hastings penalty attempt drifts wide (3-14)
Half-time: Benetton 3-14 Glasgow Warriors
50′ – Tommaso Menoncello try in corner, Jacob Umaga converts (10-14)
66′ – Niccolò Cannone yellow card for no-arms tackle
70′ – Jacob Umaga penalty goal (13-14)
80′ – Rhyno Smith drop goal from 40 metres (16-14)
Full-time: Benetton 16-14 Glasgow Warriors
Franco Smith’s side had led from the 19th minute until the dying seconds, commanding an 11-point interval advantage through tries from Jare Oguntibeju and Josh McKay. Yet they failed to score a single point across the final 50 minutes of the encounter, allowing Calum MacRae’s Benetton – playing their first home match of the season – to fight back through Tommaso Menoncello’s try and two Jacob Umaga penalties before Smith delivered the coup de grâce with the final kick of the match.
The manner of defeat will haunt Glasgow as they reflected on a flight home into the remnants of Storm Amy. Having botched two opportunities to exit and protect their one-point lead in the closing moments, they left themselves wide open to the sucker punch. George Horne sent a woeful kick out on the full, then Stafford McDowall threw a horrible floater of a forward pass in the vague direction of Kyle Rowe when a boot downfield might have unlocked victory. Benetton smelt blood and engineered the position for Smith to deliver his knockout blow.
Mindful of the shellacking his team had taken on this ground five months earlier – a 33-7 defeat that extinguished their hopes of a top-two finish – Smith reinforced his starting XV with the return of captain Kyle Steyn and inside centre Sione Tuipulotu following hand injuries sustained on Scotland’s summer tour. MacRae, meanwhile, the former Edinburgh coach now in charge of Benetton, was keen to force Glasgow into loose kicking that might create opportunities to run the ball back.
The match began in chaotic, helter-skelter fashion with the visitors dominating territory and possession. Steyn’s pressure from the opening kick-off forced a Glasgow lineout inside the Benetton 22, and the hosts rode out the first driving maul before Alessandro Garbisi’s scramble defence denied Kyle Rowe after Matt Fagerson had made a line break with just five minutes played. Still the Warriors pressed, with Hastings’s quickly-taken restart setting Johnny Matthews clear into open prairie in midfield, but once more Benetton’s defence recovered in time.
Umaga pushed an early penalty marginally wide of the right-hand upright after Glasgow’s early indiscipline at the breakdown, but the visitors continued to dominate proceedings. Tuipulotu was immediately, and characteristically, to the fore on both sides of the ball, whilst Hastings remained alive to the kick-pass option to exploit space on the width.
The breakthrough arrived in the 19th minute, and it was just what Glasgow’s early attacking endeavour deserved. Steyn’s aerial skills and Macenzzie Duncan’s alertness allowed Alex Samuel to spin a 20-metre pass to Tuipulotu, whose attempted offload was deliberately knocked on. From the resulting penalty, the maul was stopped short, but with advantage in hand, Oguntibeju was more than happy to oblige with a powerful final carry, bursting through the futile-looking efforts of Umaga and prop Mirco Spagnolo to dot down for only his second professional try. Hastings added the extras, and the Warriors led 7-0.
Umaga reduced the arrears with a penalty six minutes later after more Glasgow indiscipline, but the visitors continued to press and were rewarded with their second try as the clock ticked towards the half-hour mark. Samuel’s soft hands in midfield saw McKay move swiftly through the gears. Once McDowall had carried hard up the middle and Gregor Brown flipped a lovely little pass, McKay burst through on the shoulder with electrifying pace. The full-back ate up the remaining 45 metres in no time and gave Hastings the simplest of conversions under the posts. At 14-3, Glasgow appeared comfortable and in control.
Hastings had the opportunity to extend the advantage further when Spagnolo tackled Duncan late, but the fly-half made a hash of a seemingly straightforward penalty attempt. As the half came to a close, Steyn was denied a third try by a sensational last-ditch double hit from Spagnolo and scrum-half Garbisi. Despite conceding two tries, MacRae would have been encouraged by the ferocity and accuracy of his men in and around the tackle area as they entered the sheds trailing by 11 points.
There was far greater zip and flow to the Benetton attack upon the resumption, with Louis Werchon replacing Garbisi at scrum-half initially before the starter returned after six minutes. The hosts had Glasgow under the pump, winning penalties at the breakdown, but initially failed to convert the pressure after twice opting for the scrummage in the shadow of the posts. Simone Ferrari drove in on an angle at the second attempt, allowing Glasgow to survive.
Back came Benetton with a brilliantly imagined and executed score in the 50th minute. After a cute midfield interchange between Umaga and Malakai Fekitoa, hooker Siua Maile crashed through on a perfectly judged angle. The big man then showcased improbably soft hands to put Italy international Menoncello away, and the centre flew to the line at the corner. Umaga nailed a superb touchline conversion to make Glasgow’s lead just four points at 14-10, and suddenly the contest was alive.
The momentum stayed firmly with MacRae’s men as they introduced reinforcements. Michele Lamaro and Paolo Odogwu both suffered head injuries, but thoroughbred cavalry arrived in the form of the Cannone brothers – Lorenzo and Niccolò – along with Giosuè Zilocchi, the tighthead making his first appearance since that damaging Glasgow visit in May after recovering from a lumbar issue.
Benetton were over the line again from a maul but were held up by the collective efforts of Duncan, Scott Cummings, Horne and Gregor Hiddleston, the latter trio all replacements introduced by Smith in a mass substitution on 53 minutes that refreshed his entire front five. It was an interesting tactic from the Glasgow coach, bringing on his own version of South Africa’s famed ‘bomb squad’, though while Patrick Schickerling and Sam Talakai were hardly Springbok internationals, Cummings carried genuine pedigree as a British & Irish Lion.
Thirteen minutes from the end, Niccolò Cannone was shown a yellow card after making contact with the head of Talakai in the course of a no-arms tackle. Down to 14 men for 10 minutes, Benetton faced their sternest test, but remarkably, Glasgow could not capitalise on their numerical advantage. Instead, when Schickerling was penalised for not supporting his own body weight just outside the Warriors’ 22, Umaga stepped up and slotted the penalty to bring his side to within a point at 13-14 heading into the final 10 minutes.
As Glasgow’s decision-making deserted them in the closing stages, the match descended into chaos. Steyn broke through midfield following a McDowall cross-kick but was hauled down. Cannone returned from the sin-bin to bolster Benetton’s defensive efforts, and when Glasgow were awarded attacking lineouts, they failed to convert pressure into points.
With the clock in the red, Glasgow had two opportunities to clear their lines and protect their slender advantage. First, Horne’s clearance kick sailed out on the full, handing possession back to Benetton. Then, when Glasgow opted to play rather than kick to safety, McDowall threw a forward pass that was penalised, providing Benetton one final chance deep in Glasgow territory.
The ball was flung back to Smith, who had replaced Matt Gallagher on 60 minutes, and the veteran full-back demonstrated ice-cold composure. From approximately 40 metres and with the weight of expectation on his shoulders, Smith struck the drop goal perfectly. The ball sailed between the posts, sparking wild celebrations among the home faithful and securing a famous victory for MacRae’s first home match in charge.
The defeat represented Glasgow’s fifth in six visits to Treviso and their first loss of the season following their comfortable opening-round victory over the Sharks at Scotstoun. The Warriors had been completely dominant during the first half but the dynamic switched after the interval, and they were guilty of some questionable decision-making in the closing stages that ultimately proved costly.
For Benetton, the victory provided vindication for MacRae’s approach and demonstrated the fighting spirit that had been absent in their opening-round defeat to Connacht in Galway. The Scottish coach had clearly reprimanded his players at half-time, and their response in the second period showcased the intensity and accuracy he demanded.
The statistics told the story of Glasgow’s dominance in the first half – they enjoyed overwhelming territory and possession – but their failure to add to their tally across the final 50 minutes proved fatal. Even with Benetton reduced to 14 men for 10 crucial minutes, Glasgow lacked the composure and game management to see out the victory.
Individual performances from Oguntibeju in the first half highlighted what the 23-year-old lock can offer when firing on all cylinders. His immense physicality and excellent finish for his try demonstrated why Glasgow staff regard him so highly. For Benetton, Maile’s contribution proved pivotal, his perfectly judged angle creating Menoncello’s try before his soft hands provided the assist. Smith’s match-winning drop goal merely capped a superb collective performance in the second half.
Glasgow now face a quick turnaround as they prepare to host the Dragons at Scotstoun next Saturday, with Smith eager to ensure his side learns from this chastening experience. For Benetton, the victory – secured with the final kick – provided the perfect start to their home campaign and demonstrated that under MacRae’s guidance, they possess the resilience and quality to trouble any opponent in this competition.
Benetton Rugby: Matt Gallagher (Rhyno Smith 60); Louis Lynagh, Tommaso Menoncello, Malakai Fekitoa, Paolo Odogwu (Louis Werchon 61); Jacob Umaga, Alessandro Garbisi (Louis Werchon 40-46, Giuliano Avaca 73); Mirco Spagnolo (Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro 61), Siua Maile (Nicholas Gasperini 61), Simone Ferrari (Giosuè Zilocchi 62); Riccardo Favretto, Eli Snyman (Niccolò Cannone 58); Alessandro Izekor, Michele Lamaro (capt) (So’otala Fa’aso’o 59-66), So’otala Fa’aso’o (Lorenzo Cannone 58)
Glasgow Warriors: Josh McKay; Kyle Steyn (capt), Stafford McDowall, Sione Tuipulotu (Dan Lancaster 73), Kyle Rowe (George Horne 52); Adam Hastings, Jamie Dobie; Rory Sutherland (Patrick Schickerling 53), Johnny Matthews (Gregor Hiddleston 52), Fin Richardson (Sam Talakai 53); Jare Oguntibeju (Max Williamson 53), Alex Samuel (Scott Cummings 53); Gregor Brown (Euan Ferrie 72), Macenzzie Duncan, Matt Fagerson
Referee: Ben Connor (WRU)
Assistant Referees: Franco Rosella, Francesco Meschini (FIR)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)
