Scarlets and Benetton draw in foggy Treviso clash
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Scarlets and Benetton were left with a point apiece after a gripping 20-20 United Rugby Championship draw played in thick fog at Stadio Monigo, where missed kicks at both ends denied either side a late victory.
Benetton dominated the opening exchanges and built a 13-3 half-time lead through the boot of Rhyno Smith and a well-worked try from Italy centre Paolo Odogwu. Smith recovered from an early miss to slot two penalties, while Odogwu finished smartly from close range after sustained pressure as the Italians gradually took control of a scrappy first half.
Scarlets struggled for fluency before the break and were unable to convert two promising driving line-outs near the Benetton line, leaving them 10 points adrift at the interval.
A tough first half tussle and 2⃣ Rhyno Smith penalties see's Benetton hold the advantage at the break 🏉
— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) January 30, 2026
Download the app now 📲 to watch all the second half live play-by-play updates | 🔗 - https://t.co/USAibncXoP#URC #BENvSCA pic.twitter.com/2Bi05OI3pW
The visitors responded with renewed energy after the restart. Veteran scrum-half Gareth Davies sniped over following a powerful carry from number eight Fletcher Anderson, with teenage fly-half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones converting to reduce the gap. Momentum swung decisively in the 57th minute when wing Tomi Lewis crossed on the left after a superb long pass from Leggatt-Jones, giving Scarlets a 15-13 lead after a lengthy consultation between referee Andrew Brace and his officials.
Scarlets then missed a big opportunity to stretch their advantage when they were held up over the line, and Benetton made them pay. Sustained pressure inside the Scarlets 22 created space at the breakdown for scrum-half Alessandro Garbisi to dart over for a classy try, with Nicolas Roger Farias converting to put the hosts back in front at 20-15.
The visitors struck back almost immediately. Dane Blacker’s clever kick over the defence was gathered by Leggatt-Jones, who fed Macs Page to score and level the match. But Leggatt-Jones missed the straightforward conversion, leaving the scores locked.
Benetton had two late chances to win it, but Roger Farias narrowly missed both long-range penalties in the closing minutes, ensuring the contest ended in a dramatic stalemate as fog continued to swirl around the stadium.
Both sides were left ruing missed opportunities after a chaotic, hard-fought encounter in testing conditions.
☁️ Thick fog in the second half almost saw the game called off with the match eventually ending in draw 🤝
— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) January 30, 2026
This being the second draw in a row between the 2⃣ sides. pic.twitter.com/2uIRy0fNi8
