Treviso Rugby. Benetton under 18 is category champion, winning the tricolor after 10 years

CALVISANO (BRESCIA) – Even young Lions know how to roar. Training Under 18 of Benetton wins the category championship. He is the twelfth in the series: the last in the 2013/14 season. In the final played in Brescia, the green and whites beat Experience L’Aquila 28-17. A success that comes after 10 years and, therefore, even more celebrated. Always a very open match, with the result in the balance until the last try scored by the Trevisiol boys. Not a great match from the point of view of the game expressed, but very intense and fought at a very high pace for all seventy minutes.

The match and the victory

The green and white match it doesn’t start well, it is the Abruzzo people who take the lead first. 5′ pass and the red and whites manage to get a touch inside the Treviso 22. From the throw-in the L’Aquila team’s winning drive takes their hooker to the goal. Gioia scores the first 5 points, but Scaramazza narrowly fails to convert. First 2 points less which will then weigh. On the other side there is no despair, but the reaction arrives immediately which leads Dalla Riva to successfully cross the opponent’s goal line. Fasti, the flyhalf, makes no mistakes and makes it 7-5. The two contenders try to hurt their opponent with continuous kicks, but when the time is right we try to find space also through the game in hand. In the 20th minute Benetton scores the second try. This time it’s a green and white maul that puts the opposing defense in difficulty and makes Bottacin celebrate for the first time. Fasti doesn’t make a mistake and it reaches 14-5. 4′ pass and the result changes again. Splendid personal action by Ioannucci who, with a central break and with a few missed tackles, manages to make many meters and trigger Copersino. The captain kicks for himself, an oval that bounces into the goal area, and then collected by the same player who precedes the opponents. This time the extreme of Coach D’Antonio doesn’t make mistakes from the pitch, 14-12. But the first half of the game doesn’t end here, because Treviso decides to attack again. Forward in multi-phases who make space for the opponent’s half of the field to widen the game for Ndoumbe. Irresistible progression from the winger who, after moving forward with a kick, overcomes the defense and earns the applause of his supporters. Result 21-12, three tries to two. Before the break Colledan gets the yellow. The recovery begins with Benetton having to manage thenumerical inferiorityand he’s good at it. But shortly afterwards the Experience is ready to close the gap. In the 12th minute a powerful break by Copersino for the L’Aquila team, with the green-and-whites committing a foul near the goal area. Touche, red and white drive that doesn’t forgive and Biondi, with Scaramazza’s foot that betrays again, brings his lead to 21-17. Four points that make the difference. Uncertain match, with continuous reversals in front. Potentially the Abruzzo team would have the opportunity to take the lead again, but they don’t manage to do so. In the end they have to raise the white flag. Treviso closes the score in the last minute. Scrum, ball to Bottacin who scores his personal brace. Fasti closes his excellent performance by also converting the fourth try. The ball hits the posts, the referee blows his whistle and the party begins.

A special fourth half

Benetton lifts the Cup and the managers are satisfied, first of all Giovanni Grespan, head of the youth sector. «I’m very happy because we haven’t won for 10 years. Many compliments to our team, but also to our opponents. It was a really tough championship, with a very complicated Northern group, with teams like Valsugana, Rovigo, Petrarca. Our goal is to create players who can then be included in the first team, but an Under 21 championship would be needed, because the gap with the seniors is too wide.”

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