Benetton record hard-earned comeback win over Bath
12/15/2024 10:10 AM
MATCH REPORT: Relentless Benetton edged Bath by the slimmest of margins, clocking a close 22-21 victory in the Champions Cup on Sunday.
Bath, trailing narrowly at the restart, returned with renewed energy to reclaim the lead.
A dominant scrum provided the platform, as captain Miles Reid broke through with a game-changing run before offloading to Josh Bayliss, who rolled over to score.
The English side continued to assert their strength, and with a ruck positioned perilously close to the Benetton try-line, Thomas du Toit forced the ball into touch to complete what seemed like a decisive comeback.
Yet the longer Benetton remained within touching distance, the more dangerous they became.
[rp-mc-teams-match-summary id="242|943383|2025"][/rp-mc-teams-match-summary]
Nacho Brex came agonisingly close to restoring the Italian lead, but a costly ball drop offered Bath a sigh of relief.
This reprieve was short-lived. With relentless pressure in the dying minutes, Benetton camped in Bath's half, piling forward in search of victory.
Their persistence paid off as Bautista Bernasconi crossed the line following a well-executed line-out near touch, sealing a dramatic and deserved win for the hosts.
Scorers:
For Benetton:
Tries: Smith 2, Lynagh, Bernasconi
Cons: Albornoz
Bath:
Tries: Annett, Bayliss, du Toit
Cons: Bailey 3
Teams
Benetton: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Malakai Fekitoa, 11 Onisi Ratave, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Toa Halafihi, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza (captain), 4 Niccolo Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Siua Maile, 1 Mirco Spagnolo.
Replacements: 16 Bautista Bernasconi, 17 Thomas Gallo, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 Riccardo Favretto, 20 Alessandro Izekor, 21 Alessandro Garbisi, 22 Jacob Umaga, 23 Nacho Brex.
Bath: 15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Regan Grace, 13 Max Ojomoh, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Ruaridh McConnochie, 10 Orlando Bailey, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Miles Reid (captain), 7 Ethan Staddon, 6 Josh Bayliss, 5 Ross Molony, 4 Ewan Richards, 3 Billy Sela, 2 Niall Annett, 1 Francois van Wyk.
Replacements: 16 Kepu Tuipulotu, 17 Arthur Cordwell, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Quinn Roux, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Louie Hennessey, 23 Jaco Coetzee.
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Ruairidh Campbell (Scotland), Jonny Perriam (Scotland)
TMO: Dave Sutherland (Scotland)
Source @ChampionsCup
