Scarlets draw in Benetton fog after chaotic finale

United Rugby Championship

Benetton (13) 20

Tries: Odogwu, Garbisi Cons: Smith, Farias Pens: Smith 2

Scarlets (3) 20

Scarlets and Benetton shared the spoils in a dramatic United Rugby Championship draw in the Treviso fog.

Both sides missed late kicks – with teenage Scarlets fly-half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones failing with a routine conversion – and had to settle for two points each in a game that was completed despite the testing conditions.

Benetton led 13-3 after eight points from the boot of Rhyno Smith and a try by Italy centre Paolo Odogwu.

Former Wales scrum-half Gareth Davies went over soon after the restart in heavy fog and the visitors hit the front in the 57th minute through wing Tomi Lewis.

Scarlets – who already have a game to catch up at Connacht following a round two postponement – were pleased that referee Andrew Brace was happy to continue despite the challenging circumstances.

Scrum-half Alessandro Garbisi sniped over for a classy try with nine minutes to go to put Benetton 20-15 in front, but wing Macs Page levelled, only for Leggatt-Jones to miss the conversion next to the posts.

In a test of both sides’ squad depth before the Six Nations, the first half was scrappy with Benetton full-back Smith missing an early penalty and then striking two over in response to Leggatt-Jones’ opener.

The Italians suffered a pre-match blow with the loss of Tonga centre Malakai Fekitoa and then lost strong-running number eight So’otala Fa’aso’o, but gradually turned the screw.

Pressure paid off as half-time approached when seven-times capped centre Odogwu, released from Italy’s squad, jinked over from close range.

Scarlets had the chance to respond swiftly, but failed with a pair of driving line-outs in the corner to trail by 10 points at the break.

They quickly cut into that when veteran scrum-half Davies sniped over after a typically strong carry by the excellent number eight Fletcher Anderson, Leggatt-Jones converting.

Scarlets went into a 15-13 lead in the 57th minute when Lewis crossed from Leggatt-Jones’ superb pass to the left wing before referee Andrew Brace, after consulting with his fellow officials, was convinced to keep going.

The visitors were held up over the line as they tried to make it a two-score game and that proved to be crucial.

Hard Benetton carrying in the 22 opened up a weak spot at a ruck for Garbisi to finish superbly, with Roger Farias adding the extras.

The Scarlets response was superb with Leggatt-Jones getting to Dane Blacker’s dink over the top to put Page over, only for the 18-year-old stand-off to miss the routine conversion.

Benetton: Smith; Mendy, Odogwu, Drago, Ratave; Farias, Uren (capt); Gallo, Maile, Gallorini, Marini, Snyman, Izekor, Kingi, Fa’aso’o.

Replacements: Bernasconi, Aminu, Pasquali, Scrafton, Casartelli, Garbisi , Gallagher, Medina.

Scarlets: J Davies; Page, Roberts, Williams (capt), Lewis; Leggatt-Jones, G Davies; Hepburn, Van der Merwe, Holz, Price, Lousi, Douglas, Taylor, Anderson.

Replacements: Harry Thomas, Morse, Henry Thomas, Ball, D Davis, Blacker, McBryde, Badham.

Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)

Assistants: Clara Munarini & Bisetto Luca (Italy)