Benetton 32-35 Northampton: Dan Biggar wins Champions Cup clash for Saints late on
By Marc Bazeley
Last Updated: 23/11/19 3:19pm
Dan Biggar snatched victory for Northampton Saints with the final kick of the game as they fought back to overcome Benetton 35-32 in the Champions Cup.
Epalahame Faiva, Iliesa Ratuva and Nacho Brex all went over in the first half to help the Italian side into a commanding lead, but Cobus Reinach's try with the last play before the interval sparked a fightback which saw the visitors claw their way back into the game from 17 points down.
Tom Collins' two tries and one from fellow winger Ollie Sleightholme ensured a bonus point for the visitors too, but when Faiva got his second for the home side with 10 minutes to go it seemed as if it would end honours even.
But there was late drama when Ratuva was deemed to have deliberately knocked on with 84 minutes on the clock and Northampton attacking, allowing Biggar to atone for being shown a yellow card in the first half by kicking the game-clinching goal.
The Saints were in the ascendancy early on in this Pool 1 match, with two straight penalties allowing them to first advance quickly up field and then take the lead as Biggar slotted over a kick from the edge of Benetton's 22 after Toa Halafihi had infringed at the breakdown.
But the tables were soon turned as Marco Riccioni's excellent work at the breakdown won a penalty which was kicked to touch by Tommaso Allan, followed by Benetton's pack getting a roll on from the line-out and setting up Faiva to force his way over from close range for a try.
Allan added the extras and, although Collins had briefly put Northampton ahead by finishing a swift attacking move wide on the left, the home side were back in front as their No 10 slotted over a penalty in the 14th minute after Northampton were pinged for offside
Then, six minutes later, Benetton won a penalty at a scrum and their choice to kick for touch yielded rewards again as it set up an attack which was finished wide on the left by winger Ratuva for an unconverted score.
Things went from bad to worse for Northampton in the 24th minute when Biggar was sin-binned and Benetton were quick to make the most of their temporary numerical advantage.
Some superb scrambling defence by Ahsee Tuala and World Cup-winner Reinach prevented Monty Ioane from scoring in the corner on 26 minutes, but one minute later outside-centre Brex burst through Rory Hutchinson's tackle attempt to rampage through for Benetton's third try, converted by Allan.
Italy international fly-half Allan added his second penalty five minutes before the break, but the Saints gave themselves a glimmer of hope on the stroke of half-time as Reinach's quick thinking saw him dart over from a tap penalty for a try, converted by Biggar, following a string of Benetton infringements.
Those numerous infractions by the home side led to Braam Steyn being sin-binned and they started the second half a man down as a result. Yet, although Northampton could not breach the defence during that period, Biggar did keep chipping away at the lead with a 53rd-minute penalty.
Four minutes later, the scores were level when Sleightholme finished off a lightning counter-attack with a try converted by Biggar, albeit to the dismay of the hosts who felt the Saints winger had taken out Ioane off the ball in the build-up despite the score being given after consultation with the TMO.
The Saints sensed victory and took a step closer to it 14 minutes from time when replacement full-back George Furbank sent Collins streaking away down the left wing for his second of the match - again, converted by Biggar.
There was a further twist in the tale, though, as Lewis Ludlam gave away a penalty at the breakdown which allowed Benetton to set up a line-out drive from which Faiva dotted the ball down and Allan converted to make it all-square again.
Yet just as it seemed as if the sides would have to settle for a share of the spoils, Northampton were granted a lifeline in added time and they duly took it, with Wales international Biggar making no mistake with his penalty attempt.
