Benetton Treviso 29-30 Toulon: Last-minute penalty ensures win
By AFP
Last Updated: 21/10/17 8:31pm
Francois Trinh-Duc kicked a last-minute penalty as three-time champions Toulon escaped a European Champions Cup humiliation on Saturday by edging out battling Italian minnows Benetton Treviso 30-29.
BenettonTreviso thought they had claimed a famous victory when Irish fly-half Ian McKinley, wearing trademark goggles to protect a devastating eye injury he suffered as a student seven years ago, had knocked over his fifth penalty of the day in the 79th minute.
But Toulon, who had struggled to a 21-20 win against Scarlets in their tournament opener last weekend, powered forward on one last surge which saw a tiring Treviso penalised at a ruck.
Trinh-Duc kept cool to kick the winning points for a personal match tally of 20 points.
However, the French giants' failure to secure a bonus point could prove fatal in a tournament where just the six group winners are assured of quarter-final spots.
Benetton Treviso had lost their opening game 23-0 at Bath last week but matched their superstar visitors throughout the game scoring two first-half tries from Juan Ignacio Brex and Edoardo Gori for a 14-13 advantage at the break.
Semi Radradra crossed for Toulon in the opening period with fellow Fijian winger Josua Tusiova adding a second try for the French visitors early in the second period.
