Benetton 18-16 Edinburgh: hosts edge tight encounter

Van der Walt kicked 11 points for Edinburgh, but missed two penalties in the final 20 minutes

Benetton took the shine off Edinburgh's positive start to the Pro14 season with a hard-fought victory in dreadful conditions in Treviso.

Jayden Haward crossed after just three minutes for the hosts, with Luke Crosbie responding for Edinburgh.

Tomas Baravalle's try put Benetton in front before the break, then Jaco Van der Walt and opposite number Tommaso Allan traded penalties.

Van der Walt missed two late attempts which would have won it for Edinburgh.

Richard Cockerill's side collect a losing bonus point which keeps them third in a tight Conference B, while Benetton stay fifth.

Van der Walt's profligacy dampens positivity

Despite the low-key start to the Pro14 season as the Rugby World Cup reached its denouement, the importance of this game to Edinburgh was not insignificant.

A positive start to the season - shellacking by champions Leinster aside - and the feel of greater attacking impetus provided by new recruits plus the fit-again centre duo of Matt Scott and Mark Bennett, meant there was once more significant optimism around Edinburgh.

Last season, at least in the Pro14, was disappointing as Richard Cockerill's men missed out on the play-offs, and it was precisely fixtures like these that proved their downfall in that regard.

They had won just one of their last four trips to Italy, and although the ever-improving Benetton, last season's surprise play-off contenders, had only managed to beat the woeful Southern Kings so far, they welcomed back some of their Italian internationals.

Allan, the former Scotland under-20 cap, was one of those back in the side and he orchestrated a superb start by the hosts as his chip-kick in-goal was gobbled up by Hayward for the opening try after just three minutes. He converted, then re-established Benetton's seven-point lead with a penalty after Van der Walt had briefly reduced the deficit with one of his own.

But after some superb defence to keep Benetton at bay, Edinburgh produced some of the all-court attacking rugby that was rarely seen last term. There was a touch of fortune as Crosbie gathered to cross for the score - Bennett's kick through had ricocheted off the last defender and into his arms - but the flowing move from their own 22 in sodden conditions merited the finish. Van der Walt converted to level the game again.

For the next 15 minutes, the game descended into an arm wrestle, with neither side able to create anything of note. But when Jamie Bhatti's unnecessary hit off the ball in his own 22 earned him 10 minutes in the sin-bin, Benetton capitalised - though admittedly not at the first attempt.

Iliesa Ratuva inexplicably knocked on inches from the line, but fortunately for the winger, advantage was being played and when the Italian side got another shot off the line-out, hooker Baravalle rumbled over from the maul.

Van der Walt managed to reduce the deficit to just two points at the break with another penalty, but Edinburgh would rue not taking more having spent six minutes over the 40 camped on the Benetton line.

The South African fly-half would nudge Edinburgh in front three minutes after the restart after he was the victim of a dangerous tackle, but Allan responded to put the hosts back in front, and then missed the chance to extend the lead to five on 63 minutes.

As conditions and the pitch continued to deteriorate, attacking rugby was at a premium. And Van der Walt, usually so reliable with the boot, missed a relatively straightforward chance to squeak Edinburgh ahead by a point with the clock ticking down towards the final 10 minutes and, in the howling wind, missed a slightly more challenging opportunity with just four minutes left.

Edinburgh paid the ultimate price for his uncharacteristic sloppiness with a second defeat of the season.

Benetton: Jayden Hayward, Ratuva Tavuyara, Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Benvenuti, Angelo Esposito, Tommaso Allan, Dewaldt Duvenage, Federico Zani, Tomas Baravalle, Tiziano Pasquali, Irné Herbst, Eli Snyman, Sebastian Negri, Abraham Steyn, Toa Halafihi.

Replacements: Hame Faiva, Cherif Traore, Michele Mancini Parri, Niccolò Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Giovanni Pettinelli, Tito Tebaldi, Antonio Rizzi.

Edinburgh: Blair Kinghorn, Eroni Sau, Mark Bennett, Matt Scott, Damien Hoyland, Jaco van der Walt, Henry Pyrgos (capt), Jamie Bhatti, Mike Willemse, Pietro Ceccarelli, Fraser McKenzie, Lewis Carmichael, Ally Miller, Luke Crosbie, Magnus Bradbury.

Replacements: David Cherry, Pierre Schoeman, Murray McCallum, Sam Thomson, Viliame Mata, Nic Groom, Simon Hickey, George Taylor.