The Italians didn’t manage to emulate their heroics of the previous season, but did prevent the European Champions from leaving Italy with a valuable bonus point.
BENETTON TREVISO CAME within a second-half lapse in concentration of overturning Leinster during their RaboDirect Pro 12 encounter at the Stadio Monigo this afternoon.
The doggedness and order that characterised the Italians’ performance for a great deal of the match wasn’t much in evidence during the opening exchanges, however, and it took the European champions less than a minute to capitalise on their opponents’ uncertainty, a break in the Treviso defensive clearing a path for Leo Auva’a to cross for the opening score of the game.
Eight minutes later, the province surged into a commanding 14-3 lead when former Connaught stand-out Fionn Carr bolted over for a second, unanswered try.
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But indiscipline from Leinster, coupled with some accurate place kicking from Tobias Botes, ensured that Treviso never lost touch with the lead.
When the South African added his fourth penalty of the game after half-time, only to be immediately joined on the scoreboard by substitute Manoa Vosawai, the underdogs were suddenly within a conversion of taking the lead.
Leinster were granted a reprieve, however, when the first in a hat-trick of costly second-half misses from Botes drifted wide of the posts. Moments later, Fergus McFadden underscored the shift in momentum by establishing a precarious three-point lead for the men in blue.
The charge of delivering the final, knockout blow fell, for the second week running, to Eoin O’Malley. His 63rd-minute try, the conversion of which took McFadden’s individual points tally to 15, secured for the province what would prove an unassailable ten-point lead.
Denied what may well prove a crucial bonus point, Leinster’s victory is nonetheless sufficient to see them temporarily clear of Ospreys at the summit of the league table.
Treviso push Leinster all the way in Italy
BENETTON TREVISO CAME within a second-half lapse in concentration of overturning Leinster during their RaboDirect Pro 12 encounter at the Stadio Monigo this afternoon.
The doggedness and order that characterised the Italians’ performance for a great deal of the match wasn’t much in evidence during the opening exchanges, however, and it took the European champions less than a minute to capitalise on their opponents’ uncertainty, a break in the Treviso defensive clearing a path for Leo Auva’a to cross for the opening score of the game.
Eight minutes later, the province surged into a commanding 14-3 lead when former Connaught stand-out Fionn Carr bolted over for a second, unanswered try.
But indiscipline from Leinster, coupled with some accurate place kicking from Tobias Botes, ensured that Treviso never lost touch with the lead.
Leinster were granted a reprieve, however, when the first in a hat-trick of costly second-half misses from Botes drifted wide of the posts. Moments later, Fergus McFadden underscored the shift in momentum by establishing a precarious three-point lead for the men in blue.
The charge of delivering the final, knockout blow fell, for the second week running, to Eoin O’Malley. His 63rd-minute try, the conversion of which took McFadden’s individual points tally to 15, secured for the province what would prove an unassailable ten-point lead.
Denied what may well prove a crucial bonus point, Leinster’s victory is nonetheless sufficient to see them temporarily clear of Ospreys at the summit of the league table.
Final score: Bennetton Treviso 20-30 Leinster
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