Six Nations Championship player Tommaso Menonchero scored one of Benetton’s five tries as they beat Connacht 39-24 and reached the Challenge Cup semi-finals.
Gianmarco Lucchesi, Rhino Smith and Tomas Albornoz (2) also crossed the whitewash as the Italian side prepare for a last-four clash with Gloucester at Kingsholm.
David Heffernan, Paul Boyle, Bundy Aki and Conor Oliver scored tries for Connacht as their European tour came to an end at the Stadio di Monigo on Sunday.
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Connacht crashed out with a driving maul two minutes into the game, but Heffernan stood up at the end and JJ Hanrahan added another point.
However, Benetton hit back soon after with a carbon copy of Connacht’s score, with Italian hooker Lucchesi hitting the back of a maul to equalize in the sixth minute.
Benetton got a touchdown by Menoncello, then Smith, Benetton chased down a Connacht mistake and got a touchdown, and suddenly the Italian team was up 19-7.
Things got even worse for Connacht. Albornoz recovered his own kick downfield and scored in the 26th minute, and Jacob Umaga’s brace gave Benetton a 26-7 lead.
Fortunately for Connacht they were able to build on something just before the interval via No. 8 Boyle as he entered the changing room.
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Aki’s next cross from the left came in the 56th minute, followed by Albornoz’s second nine minutes later and Umaga’s two penalties in the second half to restore their cushion.
Connacht did not give up the fight and crossed again in the 68th minute through substitute Oliver, but it turned out to be just a consolation as Benetton progressed to the semi-finals.
team
Benetton: 15 Rhino Smith, 14 Ignacio Mendy, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Juan Ignacio Brex, 11 Onisi Latabe, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Toa Harafihi, 7 Michele Ramaro (c), 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Luzza, 4 Niccolo Canone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Thomas Gallo
Replacement: 16 Bautista Bernasconi, 17 Mirco Spagnuolo, 18 Giosue Girocchi, 19 Eli Snyman, 20 Alessandro Izecole, 21 Lorenzo Cannone, 22 Andy Woolen, 23 Jacob Umaga
Connaht: 15 Tiernan O’Halloran, 14 Andrew Smith, 13 David Hawkshaw, 12 Bundy Aki, 11 Shane Jennings, 10 JJ Hanrahan, 9 Kaolin Blade (c), 8 Paul Boyle, 7 Shamus Hurley-Langton, 6 Cian Prendergast, 5 Darragh Murray, 4 Joe Joyce, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Dave Heffernan, 1 Dennis Buckley
Replacement: 16 Eoin de Buitrea, 17 Peter Dooley, 18 Sam Illo, 19 Niall Murray, 20 Conor Oliver, 21 Matthew Devine, 22 Cathal Ford, 23 Tom Farrell
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referee: Ruairidh Campbell (Scotland), Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
TMO: Holly Davidson (Scotland)
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