Bulls humiliated in Rainbow Cup final
Benetton Treviso on Saturday went on to win their first major title as they trounced Vodacom Bulls 35-8 in the final at Stadio Comunale Di Mongio to win the Rainbow Cup.
This has been a big turnaround for the Italian side after failing to win a single game in this season’s Pro14 with 14 defeats and a draw, and now will head into next season’s United Rugby Championship brimming with confidence.
Benetton started the game positively in front of 1,250 fans as they put the Bulls under pressure, and space was created on wide for Monty Ioane to touch down in the fifth minute. Pablo Garbisi missed out on the conversion, but he made amends with a penalty kick in the 19th minute to make it 8-0.
The response from the Bulls came early in the second quarter as Johan Grobbelaar was stopped just short before the ball was recycled, and eventually Madosh Tambwe went over in the 26th minute. Chris Smith, whose conversion went wide, managed to slot a penalty goal as the scores were levelled in the first half-hour.
Benetton managed to seize the lead when Corniel Els dotted down in the 31st minute, but once again Garbisi missed out on the extras before Stravino Jacobs’ tackle went wrong for the South African side that saw him sinbinned while also resulting in a penalty try for the hosts, making it 20-8.
Benetton stepped up the gears as they looked relentless at the start of the second half with Garbisi kicking to Ioane, who offloaded to Michele Lamaro as he dived over. Garbisi got the conversion right this time, and also followed with his second penalty kick, making it 30-8.
The fifth and final try came in the 57th minute. Garbisi provided an assist for Edoardo Padovani as he dotted down and they increased their lead to 35-8, which proved enough as the Bulls had two late tries disallowed.
Scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl failed to control a tapped lineout ball on his own line, which allowed former Junior Springbok hooker Corniel Els to pounce on the loose ball for his team’s second try of a very impressive first half (13-8).
The livewire hooker was at the heart of another Benetton attack, which saw Stravino Jacobs (left wing) yellow-carded for a “seatbelt tackle” on Els, which resulted in a penalty try, and handed Benetton a 20-8 lead at halftime.
Any hopes of an early Vodacom Bulls fightback was doused as early as three minutes into the second half when the home team made the extra man count by scoring their fourth try through loose forward Michele Lamaro. With Garbisi slotting the conversion and adding another penalty goal a few minutes later, it left Marcell Coetzee’s men with a mountain to climb as the score climbed to 30-8 in favour of the dominating green jerseys.
Another try by Benetton wing Edoardo Padovani stretched the lead even further to 35-8, and with both sides making changes as well as the energy-sapping heat taking its toll on the players, the second half lost a bit of sparkle, compared to the exciting opening stanza.
Tambwe was perhaps somewhat unlucky to be called back from scoring his second try when the television match official ruled that an earlier pass by Coetzee was forward. However, when the final whistle finally went, there was no denying that Benetton had outclassed the Vodacom Bulls to scoop their first piece of European silverware in front of an ecstatic crowd.