Banks bags win after traffic jam

Marty Banks – the Kiwi rugby cult hero who once swigged a beer from a fan’s can while lining up a conversion – didn’t let a traffic jam stop him booting his Italian club to a fifth consecutive Pro 14 championship victory.

Benetton Treviso – coached by former All Blacks fullback Kieran Crowley – arrived at the Rodney Parade ground in Newport, Wales, late for their clash with the Dragons on Sunday (Monday NZ time).

The visitors’ bus was stuck in motorway traffic and did not reach the stadium till 2.50pm – 40 minutes before kickoff.

Their pre-match warm-up was cut short and the Dragons – without a Pro 14 win since last September – struck with three firsthalf tries, including a double to hooker Liam Belcher.

The Treviso team hit back with tries to Australian wing Monty Ioane and Alberto Sgarbi to trail 15-12 at the break.

Benetton were stronger in a try-less second half and Banks – a Tasman Mako crowd cult hero who supped from a beer can hurled at him by a fan while lining up a conversion in the 2016 NPC semifinal – played a vital part off the kicking tee.

Banks, a Super Rugby winner with the Highlanders in 2015, landed vital penalties in the 55th and 65th minutes for the only points of the second half to give Benetton their eighth victory of the season.

The Italian side – which fielded former Waikato and Crusaders loose forward Whetu Douglas at No 8 – had never won five successive matches before. Benetton’s victory was achieved in the absence of their Italian test players who are preparing for next weekend’s match against France.