| 2019-20 Heineken Champions Cup Pool One: Benetton v Northampton Saints |
|---|
| Benetton: (25) 32 |
| Tries: Faiva 2, Ratuva, Brex Cons: Allan 3 Pens: Allan 2 |
| Northampton: (15) 35 |
| Tries: Collins 2, Reinach, Sleightholme Cons: Biggar 3 Pens: Biggar 3 |
Dan Biggar kicked a penalty in the 85th minute to seal a bonus-point Heineken Champions Cup win for Northampton over Benetton after a second-half fightback.
Saints scored 17 second-half points with tries by Ollie Sleightholme and a second for Tom Collins before Biggar’s decisive penalty.
Benetton led 25-15 at the break after tries by Hame Faiva, Iliesa Ratuva and Nacho Brex, but Collins and a Cobus Reinach try kept the visitors in it.
Saints move to second in Pool One.
Saints made wholesale changes to their side from their opening-round victory over Lyon, replacing over half the team, but fly-half Biggar was one of seven players to retain his place.
The Wales international got his side off the mark with a comfortable penalty but the hosts seized the initiative when hooker Faiva powered over from close range.
Biggar then played a crucial role in the build-up to Collins’ opening try for Saints with a no-look flick behind him to full-back Ahsee Tuala, who fed the winger.
Benetton regained the lead through Ratuva, but with the game evenly poised, Biggar took centre stage again after a dangerous tackle saw him spend the next 10 minutes in the sin-bin – something the hosts went on to exploit.
Centre Brex broke through in midfield before throwing a dummy to score his side’s third try before Tommaso Allan kicked the Italians side further ahead.
But World Cup winner Reinach was alert to snipe through on the stroke of half-time, and with Braam Steyn in the bin for an accumulation of penalties, the visitors had a glimmer.
Sleightholme and Collins scored the tries to give Saints the lead, but a try from Faiva drew the scores level, before Ratuva was penalised for deliberately knocking and Biggar stepped up to earn his side victory with the final play.
Saints are level on points with pool leaders Leinster, second only on points difference, while Benetton remain third after picking up a losing bonus point.
‘The try before half-time was crucial’ – what they said
Northampton Saints director of rugby Chris Boyd said: “We have to be way better and if we play like that again, we’ll get a pasting. I don’t think either side can say they played well enough to walk away with five points.
“It was a game we did well to come back in. The try before half-time was crucial as 25-8 might have been a bridge too far. We were miles off our game and it was probably our worst effort of the year.
“We were loose and sloppy and all the things we talked about not being, but I guess the positive is we found a way to win even though we were far from our best.”
Teams
Benetton: Hayward; Ratuva, Brex, Benvenuti, Ioane; Allan, Duvenage; Zani, Faiva, Riccioni, Herbst, Ruzza, Pettinelli, Steyn, Halafihi
Replacements: Mancini Parri, Traore, Pasquali, Cannone, Snyman, Lazzaroni, Tebaldi, Keatley
Northampton: Tuala; Sleightholme, Proctor, Hutchinson, Collins; Biggar, Reinach; Van Wyk, Haywood, Franks, Moon, Ratuniyarawa, Gibson, Ludlam, Harrison
Replacements: Van Vuuren, Waller, Hill, Bean, Eadie, Mitchell, Dingwall, Furbank
