A thrilling encounter in the United Rugby Championship saw Benetton narrowly defeat Edinburgh, easing the pressure on their head coach Sean Everitt. However, the visitors gave the home crowd a scare at Stadio Monigo.
The match marked a turning point for Edinburgh, who had been on a three-match losing streak across all competitions, including consecutive losses to their Scottish rivals, Glasgow Warriors.
Edinburgh's Ben Vellacott scored first, capitalizing on a ruck, with Ross Thompson adding the conversion. A Thompson penalty extended their lead, but the visitors held a slim 10-point advantage at halftime.
Darcy Graham's footwork created space for Edinburgh's second try early in the second half, but Thompson's conversion attempt fell short.
Benetton fought back with their first converted try, as prop Thomas Gallo found a gap to score, with Jacob Umaga adding the extras. The hosts then crossed again, with Malakai Fekitoa touching down, and Umaga's conversion brought them within a point with 23 minutes remaining.
The stage was set for a tense finale, but Edinburgh held their nerve to secure their first URC victory since late November. Cammy Scott, who replaced Thompson, missed a late penalty that could have sealed the win for Edinburgh.
This result sees Edinburgh move to three wins from eight in the division this season. Everitt's side will now shift their focus to Champions Cup action over the next two Fridays, with home and away fixtures against Gloucester and Bath, respectively.
Teams:
Benetton: Gallagher, Lynagh, Odogwu, Marin, Mendy, Umaga, Garbisi, Gallo, Bernasconi, Ferrari, N. Cannone, Snyman, Izekor, Lamaro, Favretto.
Replacements: Gasperini, Aminu, Zilocchi, Scrafton, Fa'aso'o, Uren, Smith, Fekitoa.
Edinburgh: Brown, Graham, M Currie, Lang, Goosen, Thompson, Vellacott, Schoeman, Morris, O Blyth Lafferty, Young, Gilchrist, Dodd, Douglas, Bradbury.
Replacements: J Blyth, Lafferty, Whitcombe, Hill, Hunter-Hill, McConnell, Shiel, C Scott, O'Conor.
And there you have it! A tense and exciting match that could have gone either way. What do you think? Was Edinburgh's win a turning point for their season, or just a lucky escape? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
