Benetton streaked to victory at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon to leave the Lions’ Vodacom URC playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
Flyhalf Jacob Umaga starred for the touring Italians, scoring 23 points with both boot and ball to guide Benetton to a convincing 42-31 win, condemning the Pride to a fifth consecutive defeat.
Kade Wolhuter opened the scoring with an early penalty, but Umaga struck back almost immediately, pouncing on a knock-on from Lions lock Darrien Landsberg to give the visitors a 7-3 lead.
Taking advantage of the mistake 😉
Jacob Umaga crosses for @BenettonRugby 😎#BKTURC #URC | #LIOvBEN pic.twitter.com/Ra53yqOI6X
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) April 19, 2025
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Benetton struck again soon after, taking advantage of a brilliant kick to touch by Umaga to set up an attacking lineout. A quick shift wide saw winger Ignacio Mendy cross for their second try, stretching the lead to 12-3.
The Lions were dealt a further blow when captain Francke Horn was forced off in the first quarter with a knee injury, replaced by Sibabalo Qoma. Umaga slotted a penalty, before Leonardo Marin scored Benetton’s third try after more ill-discipline from the hosts.
Trailing 22-3, the Lions showed some fight as Ruan Venter powered over from a driving maul, with Wolhuter adding the extras. But Mendy grabbed his second try of the afternoon following another Lions error, earning Benetton a valuable bonus-point.
Centre Marius Louw gave the Lions a lifeline before the break, chasing down a loose ball to score and cut the deficit to 32-17 at half time.
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Benetton resumed control after the restart, with lock Federico Ruzza diving over for a fifth try. The visitors were briefly reduced to 13 men after yellow cards to Ruzza and replacement Siua Masi, but the Lions failed to make it count, struggling with handling errors and poor decision-making.
A third yellow card followed, this time to prop Giosue Zilocchi for a dangerous tackle. Edwill van der Merwe finally made the advantage count, finishing in the corner to keep the Lions in the game. JC Pretorius added a late score, but it wasn’t enough to stop Benetton from sealing a deserved win.
Next the Lions host Connacht while Benetton continue their tour in the Republic with a showdown against the Stormers in Cape Town.
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
