Pro14: Benetton 14-29 Cardiff Blues

Corey Domachowski made his first appearance for the Cardiff Blues in 2017

Cardiff Blues kept their hopes of Champions Cup qualification alive with victory away at Benetton.

First-half tries from wing Ratuva Tavuyara and tight-head prop Ivan Nemer gave the hosts a commanding lead.

Keiron Assiratti scored Blues' first try seconds before half-time and minutes after the break they had a second through Alex Summerhill to lead.

And Cardiff Blues wrapped up the bonus point through tries from Corey Domachowski and Rey Lee-Lo.

The Blues' hopes of Champions Cup qualification now come down to the final weekend of regular action, as they host Edinburgh at the Arms Park at the same time as Connacht's trip to Scarlets on 22 March.

Victory for Dai Young's side and a Connacht win at Parc y Scarlets would see Cardiff complete the comeback into third place in Conference B.

Cardiff were disrupted in the build-up with Wales wing Owen Lane pulling out through injury to be replaced by Jason Harries.

Winless Benetton had the better of the first half and deservedly led when Tavuyara leapt acrobatically in the corner to score the games' opening try after a string of penalties at the breakdown against the visitors.

The Welsh side absorbed more pressure before Ellis Jenkins forced a turnover which allowed them to get on the board through a simple Ben Thomas penalty in front of the posts.

Minutes later centre Mason Grady hobbled off after a clash of knees after just as the Blues were building momentum, forcing Jarrod Evans, who has returned from Wales duty, on earlier than expected.

Both sides failed to capitalise from promising attacking positions as handling errors and unforced errors at the breakdown slowed the game down.

But it was Benetton who struck next, Nemer crossing for the hosts despite protests from some Cardiff Blues forwards that Olly Robinson had held the ball up.

Prop Assiratti scored the Blues' first try of the match with the first half drawing to the close, the forwards finally taking advantage of an attacking line-out.

Cardiff Blues started the second half as they'd finished the first, Thomas beating his man out wide before feeding Summerhill who crossed over to score despite having two defenders to beat.

Loose-head prop Domachowski joined fellow Blues front-rower Assiratti in getting on the scoresheet after more good work from the forwards eventually found a gap in the determined Benetton defence.

And the bonus point was sealed with 10 minutes to spare when Thomas again broke a tackle to offload, this time to Lee-Lo, who had the simplest of finishes to condemn the Italian hosts to a 13th successive league defeat this season.

Benetton: Jayden Hayward; Ratuva Tavuyara, Joaquin Riera, Luca Morisi, Angelo Esposito; Tommaso Allan, Dewaldt Duvenage (capt); Thomas Gallo, Corniel Els, Ivan Nemer; Irné Herbst, Eli Snyman; Davide Ruggeri, Manuel Zuliani, Riccardo Favretto

Replacements: Giacomo Nicotera, Tomas Baravalle, Tiziano Pasquali, Matteo Canali, Giovanni Pettinelli, Alberto Sgarbi, Luca Petrozzi, Tommaso Benvenuti.

Cardiff Blues: Matthew Morgan; Jasoin Harries, Mason Grady, Rey Lee-Lo, Aled Summerhill; Ben Thomas, Jamie Hill; Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher, Keiron Assiratti, Seb Davies, Rory Thornton, Olly Robinson, Ellis Jenkins, Josh Turnbull (capt.)

Replacements: Iestyn Harris, Rhys Gill, Dillon Lewis, James Ratti, Alun Lawrence, Lewis Jones, Jarrod Evans, Max Llewellyn.

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)

Assistant referees: Federico Vedovelli, Filippo Russo (both FIR)

TMO: Marius Mitrea (FIR).

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