Rugby, defeated Cardiff: Benetton Treviso conquers a historic semi-final in Europe

Record goal for Benetton Treviso: in front of a sold out Monigo stadium, the ‘Leoni’ beat Cardiff 27-23 (13-10 in the first half), 3 tries to 2, conquering Cardiff for the first time in history of Italian club rugby a semifinal in the Challenge Cup, the Europa League of the oval ball.
Viadana had previously played and lost against Montpellier in a ‘Shield’ final – comparable to football’s Conference League – in 2003/2004, but Benetto’s result is of much higher prestige. After a 23-20 finish for Cardiff, the Treviso team gave the final pass with a spectacular try from Marcus Watson 10 minutes from the end, converted by Albornoz, then a heroic defense completed the job. Next opponent of the green-and-whites, the Toulon of former blue captain Sergio Parisse, one of the Greats of European rugby, in France at the end of April.