Unleashing chaos and creativity, Benetton trounced the Lions with a 41-15 victory in their latest United Rugby Championship clash at Stadio Monigo. Louis Lynagh's stellar performance, featuring a four-try haul, stole the show, signaling a fierce comeback for the wing after a knee injury sidelined him from the Six Nations. Meanwhile, the Lions' struggles deepened, marred by tactical errors and defensive lapses, despite the return of their star scrum-half Morne van den Berg.
Benetton's strategy was clear from the start—attack with relentless vigor. Rhyno Smith initiated the scoring spree, followed by Lynagh and Simone Ferrari, pushing the score to 20-3 by mid-half. Although the Lions' Asenathi Ntlabakanye managed to push back, Lynagh's continued brilliance brought the score to 24-10 by halftime. A tighter second half still favored Benetton, with Lynagh completing his hat-trick and adding a fourth try in the dying moments of the game.
"It's the first time in my career that I've scored more than two tries in a game,"
Lynagh revealed post-match, unable to hide his delight over his exceptional performance.
Despite some moments of promise, the Lions were plagued by self-inflicted wounds—missed opportunities and crucial errors that saw potential scores fumble into frustrations. Their defensive game gave too much room to Benetton's attackers, a gap that the Italian side exploited without mercy.
The loss of van den Berg, who had to leave the field for an HIA early in the game, significantly hampered the Lions' structure. "We lost direction without him," admitted Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen, signaling how pivotal van den Berg is to the team's dynamics.
With this victory, Benetton not only continues their upward trajectory under new head coach Calum MacRae but also positions themselves as a team to watch in the URC. On the flip side, the Lions, with 13 consecutive away losses, face a steep climb to regain their competitive edge in the league, as they prepare to host the Scarlets next weekend.
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Unleashing chaos and creativity, Benetton trounced the Lions with a 41-15 victory in their latest United Rugby Championship clash at Stadio Monigo. Louis Lynagh's stellar performance, featuring a four-try haul, stole the show, signaling a fierce comeback for the wing after a knee injury sidelined him from the Six Nations. Meanwhile, the Lions' struggles deepened, marred by tactical errors and defensive lapses, despite the return of their star scrum-half Morne van den Berg.
Benetton's strategy was clear from the start—attack with relentless vigor. Rhyno Smith initiated the scoring spree, followed by Lynagh and Simone Ferrari, pushing the score to 20-3 by mid-half. Although the Lions' Asenathi Ntlabakanye managed to push back, Lynagh's continued brilliance brought the score to 24-10 by halftime. A tighter second half still favored Benetton, with Lynagh completing his hat-trick and adding a fourth try in the dying moments of the game.
"It's the first time in my career that I've scored more than two tries in a game,"
Lynagh revealed post-match, unable to hide his delight over his exceptional performance.Despite some moments of promise, the Lions were plagued by self-inflicted wounds—missed opportunities and crucial errors that saw potential scores fumble into frustrations. Their defensive game gave too much room to Benetton's attackers, a gap that the Italian side exploited without mercy.
The loss of van den Berg, who had to leave the field for an HIA early in the game, significantly hampered the Lions' structure. "We lost direction without him," admitted Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen, signaling how pivotal van den Berg is to the team's dynamics.
With this victory, Benetton not only continues their upward trajectory under new head coach Calum MacRae but also positions themselves as a team to watch in the URC. On the flip side, the Lions, with 13 consecutive away losses, face a steep climb to regain their competitive edge in the league, as they prepare to host the Scarlets next weekend.