Cardiff Blues defeat Treviso to increase their chances to reach the Final Four of Magners League
Cardiff Blues defeated the Benetton Treviso comprehensively to improve their chance to reach the play offs of the Magners League.
Blues with this win now are placed at third place in the Magners League, one point behind the second placed Leinster. The match was played at Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff on Thursday April 21, 2011.
Benetton Treviso was first to score in the match as their Fly Half Willem De Waal scored on the penalty during the third minute of the game. However, the Cardiff Blues came back strongly as they gained the ball possession and started to enjoy more territory.
Benetton Treviso struggle under the increasing pressure of the Blues and started to make mistakes.
Cardiff Blues levelled the score through their Fly Half Dan Parks penalty during the fifth minute of the game. Parks scored two more penalties during the 8th and 10th minute of the game to put the lead of 6 points over the Treviso. Treviso shortly takes
back the control over the ball and reduces the lead to three points with De Waal’s 14th minute penalty.
Both teams later fought for ball and territory possession. However, it was Blues again as they scored on the penalty kicked by Parks during the 28th minute. Treviso Flank Alessandra Zanni was sin binned during the 28th minute. Treviso with a man down failed
to contain the Blues. Cardiff Blues extended their lead courtesy of Treviso as Blues capitalised on the penalty try awarded during the 35th minute.
Penalty try was awarded as result of the foul by substitute Prop Michele Rizzo. Rizzo was sin binned during the 34th minute and Treviso played the next few minutes of the first half with just 13 players. Parks followed by his conversion to take the scorecard
reading 19-6. Treviso’s De Waal scored a penalty during the last minute of the first half leaving the Treviso trailing by 10 points at the end of the first half.
Both teams started with second half slowly as they both denied free scoring opportunities to each other. Unlike the first half, first scoring opportunity of the second half came after the 11 minutes. It was Blues Fly Half Dan Parks with his 5th and last
penalty of the game to take the scorecard to reading 22-9.
In next 20 minutes, both teams failed to score a point while made certain moves during the passage. Blues extended their lead with their number 8 Xavier Rush’s 71st minute try. This was followed by the Parks conversion to take the scorecard reading 29-9.
The score remained the same until the end of the half.
Cardiff Blues were impressive in their defence particularly during the second half as they denied Benetton Treviso to score a single point during the 40 minutes of play. Blues now have two more games to play and need to win at least a game to ensure their
place in the Magners League play offs.
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