Pro 14 Preview - Benetton Rugby v Leinster

Round 2 brings with it a monumental challenge for Benetton as the Italian outfit host the mighty Leinster at Stadio Comunale Di Monigo on Saturday evening.

Benetton felt the wrath of the Irish in Round 1 as they crashed to a 35-24 defeat against Ulster and now face their southern brethren.

Leinster, in Round 1, seemed to pick up where they left off in the previous campaign several weeks ago, bringing the hammer down on Dragons 35-5 at the RDS. The men in blue looked fit and clinical in all areas of the game – outscoring Dragons by seven tries to one – and will no doubt prove a tough nut to crack in this current tournament again.

More than a year has elapsed since these two last met – in Round 1 of the 2019-20 tournament – where Benetton fought valiantly (playing just over half an hour of the game with 14 men) to push Leinster very close, the final whistle sounding with the score at 32-27.

While it is unlikely that Leinster will come unstuck against Benetton, the lat result between the two does show that the Italians have the capability to turn up the heat when they put their minds to it. They also have the added advantage of playing on their home turf. That being said, Leo Cullen’s men are playing great rugby will be loathe to walk away from Stadio Comunale Di Monigo with anything other than five points.