Match Preview | Benetton

• 25 Mar 2021

Glasgow Warriors round out the 2020/21 Guinness PRO14 this weekend, as Benetton make their first visit to Scotstoun since September 2017.

It’s been a
full three and a half years since the Italian side’s last visit to Glasgow’s
west end, with Guinness PRO14 scheduling meaning that each of their three most
recent encounters with the Warriors have taken place in Treviso.

Danny Wilson’s
men will be looking to bounce back from Sunday’s loss at the hands of the Dragons, despite Rufus McLean’s world-class try-of-the-season contender.

Yet whilst
Benetton have endured a tough 2020/21 campaign to date, there can be no
underestimating the talent Kieran Crowley’s side has at it’s disposal.

Here’s how
the two teams shape up ahead of Saturday afternoon’s match:

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— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) March 16, 2021

Benetton
form guide

The men from
Treviso currently sit sixth in Guinness PRO14 Conference B, with no wins from
their 14 matches to date in 2020/21.

Spirited
performances against Ulster and Leinster in their opening fixtures of the
season ultimately yielded no points, before Crowley’s side earned a losing
bonus-point in defeat to the Scarlets in round three.

Indeed whilst
Benetton have had to console themselves with losing bonus-points on six occasions this season to date, results have belied their performances so far in
2020/21.

Nowhere was
this more evident than in their clash with Munster earlier this season, where an 81^st
minute drop-goal from JJ Hanrahan saw Munster steal an 18-16 win at the Stadio
Comunale di Monigo, or a brace of narrow defeats against cross-country rivals Zebre during the festive period.

Summer
departures

Benetton saw
a raft of experienced players depart over the summer months, with vastly
experienced Italian international trio Alessandro Zanni, Ian McKinley and Dean
Budd all hanging up their boots during the off-season.

Tongan
back-rower Nasi Manu also said his farewells to the club to join Otago after
three years with the Italian outfit, with Marco Fuser moving to English side
Newcastle Falcons.

Fly-half
Antonio Rizzi made the switch to fellow Guinness PRO14 side Zebre, whilst fellow
fly-half Ian Keatley penned a short-term deal with Glasgow Warriors earlier
this year.

New
arrivals

The headline
signature prior to the 2020/21 campaign for Benetton supporters undoubtedly
came in the form of Paolo Garbisi, with the fly-half widely tipped as the
future star of Italian rugby.

The former
Petrarca Padova man was joined by Joaquin Riera and Niccolo Cannone in agreeing
full-time deals with Crowley’s men, whilst Eduardo Padovani made the move from
Zebre.

Elsewhere, Italian
international scrum-half Callum Braley made the move from Gloucester, with
Corniel Els linking up with the squad after joining from the Bulls.

Ones to
watch

The Warrior
Nation will be particularly familiar with one member of a dangerous Benetton
back-line, as former Glasgow winger Leonardo Sarto could potentially return to
his former stomping ground. Scorer of nine tries in 18 outings for the
Warriors, the 29-year-old is still a potent threat when given the ball in space.

Marco Barbini is another who – if selected – is likely to be at the
forefront of the Benetton effort on Saturday afternoon. The back-rower is a
dynamic carrier, whilst also more than capable of stealing opposition ball when
given the chance.

Club captain
Alberto Sgarbi brings a wealth of experience to the Benetton squad, with over
140 appearances for the club to his name. Normally deployed in the centre, the
34-year-old is also a handy option in the back-row for Crowley to consider.

Previous
Encounters

You have to
go back to Glasgow’s first match of 2020 for the most recent meeting between
the two teams, as the Warriors emerged with a 38-19 victory from the Stadio
Comunale di Monigo.

A brace from
George Horne, as well as tries from Pete Horne, Sam Johnson, Niko Matawalu and
Andrew Davidson ultimately secured all five points for the visitors in a
hard-fought win over their hosts.

It was a
similarly tough encounter on Benetton’s last visit to Scotstoun in September
2017, as Johnson’s last-minute score secured the bonus-point in a 37-21 victory.

Tommy
Seymour, Rob Harley and Pete Horne were also on the scoresheet for the home
side, with Horne and Brandon Thomson adding 17 points between them from the
tee.

Match
officials

Frank Murphy will be the man in the middle on Saturday afternoon, taking charge of his 43rd match in the Guinness PRO14.

Sam Grove-White and Ben Blain will be his assistants at Scotstoun, with Neil Patterson on hand as the Television Match Official.

Broadcast
Information

The match is
live on Premier Sports 1 this Saturday afternoon, with kick-off scheduled for 1.45pm.

You can also
follow all the build-up and action as it happens on our Live Match Centre at
glasgowwarriors.org.