BENEVENTO – On the 21st day Messina Rugby faced the penultimate away match of their championship. The Neroscudati were opposed to the last in the standings Us Benevento and in addition to their opponents, coach Alibrandi’s team struggled against the short bench. In fact, among the ranks of the Peloritani, in addition to the 15 who started on the pitch, including Radulescu born in 2006, there were only three other athletes on the bench.
A factor that ultimately weighed. In the first half the Peloritani had taken the lead and thanks to three goals they led with a margin of 7-17 after forty minutes, in the second half Benevento came back by concentrating two tries, half of those scored, and then the final overtaking in the last quarter from now. Honorable mention for captain Giovanni Rizzo who with the match played today reaches 100 first team appearances, for the hooker born in 1999 there are 29 tries in the black shield jersey which have earned Messina Rugby 145 points. For the last one at home at “Sciavicco” next Sunday where the neroscudati will face L’Aquila.
Us Benevento – Messina Rugby 31-17
Balanced match in the initial stages with neither team finding the points until the quarter of an hour when Messina scored through Fracassi. The response from the locals was immediate with Sannino smashing in the goal and Ciampa converting, bringing the Campania team ahead 7-5. After the halfway point of the first half, another Messina goal with Leonardo Quaranta, this time Longo’s conversion also arrives for the 7-12. In the final in the 35th minute Messina still scores with a Forty but it’s Antonio, Longo doesn’t convert and the first half sees the Peloritani in the lead 7-17.
In the second half there will only be Benevento on the pitch, making the Peloritani bench too short. Prop Colantuono’s try converted by Ciampa brings the home team back to a break in the first ten minutes of the second half with the score 14-17. Messina held the lead until almost ten minutes from the end, in the 68th minute Francesco Ciampa’s try was converted by Gianmaria Ciampa, then there wasn’t even time to react for the neroscudati who also scored a try from Arati which was worth the bonus point , Ciampa’s conversion that sends the locals up 28-17. In the final minutes the Campanians continue to push and add points with Ciampa’s place for the final 31-17.
Scoreboard
Us Rugby Benevento: Caporaso, Traore, Sannino 5, Francesco Ciampa 5, Carandente, Gianmaria Ciampa 11, Sabella, Cantone, Pagnozzi, Arati 5, D’Addio, Cioccio, Palomba, Zollo, Colantuono 5.
Available: Ranaldo, Aversano, Russo, Marotta, Bocchino, Musco.
Coach: Annibale Fusco.
Messina Rugby: Dejean, Radulescu, Kese, Antonio Quaranta 5, Ouedraogo, Leonardo Quaranta 5, Longo 2, Alberto Mangano, Vinci, Tornesi, Fracassi 5, Hasanoviq, Cafarelli, Rizzo, Maggio.
Available: Spadaro, Russo, Tripodi.
Coach: Nicola Alibrandi.
Referee: Simone Sironi of Rome
Goals: 4-3. Transformations: 4/4, 1/3. Set pieces: 1-0.
