Rainbow Cup: Benetton 46-19 Glasgow Warriors

Nick Grigg added a third try for Glasgow in a near-farcical ending to the match in Italy

Glasgow Warriors' lamentable season continued with a heavy loss away to Benetton in the opening round of the new Rainbow Cup.

The Italians had converted two tries inside six minutes, with Monty Ioane and Niccolo Cannone touching down.

Cannone added another score to give his side a 21-0 interval lead.

Toa Halafihi, Michele Lamaro and Gianmarco Lucchesi also scored, with Cole Forbes, Ian Keatley and Nick Grigg adding late tries for the visitors.

Two of those tries came in the final few minutes, with Benetton barely bothering to defend their huge lead.

The hosts did not manage a single win in the truncated Pro14 campaign, losing 15 and earning one draw.

But they were soon ahead when Sam Johnson's kick was blocked and Marco Zanon was first to the loose ball before offloading to Ioane, who had the strength to hold off a challenge and race clear.

Second row Cannone then enjoyed a mismatch with George Horne, brushing the scrum-half aside to score, and the same player was grinning ear-to-ear after breezing through a huge hole in the visiting defence for the hosts' third try.

Glasgow thought they had reduced the deficit near the hour mark when Forbes crossed the line but the effort was disallowed on review after a high hit from Johnson.

Soon after, Halafihi and Lamaro punched holes in Glasgow's wilting defence.

Full-back Forbes did get his name on the scoreboard after running almost the full length of the pitch to dot down in the corner.

But Lucchesi crashed in from a driving maul for Benetton's sixth try, with Danny Wilson's side again all at sea.

With the home side already in party mode, Glasgow found space to conjure up two scores in the last few minutes through Keatley and Grigg.

Glasgow must now try to put this embarrassing defeat behind them for a double header with Edinburgh on 7 and 15 May.

Benetton: Hayward, Sarto, Brex, Zanone, Ioane, Garbisi, Duvenage; Gallo, Els, Alongi, Cannone, Ruzza, Favretto, Lamoro, Halafihi.

Replacements: Lucchesi, Baravalle, Nemer, Herbst, Zuliani, Sgarbi, Petrozzi, Padovani.

Glasgow Warriors: Forbes, McLean, Grigg, Johnson, Steyn, Thompson, Horne; Kebble, Turner, Fagerson, Gray, Harley, Lokotui, Brown, Wilson.

Replacements: Stewart, Lambert, Rae, Nakawara, Darge, Price, Keatley, Smith.

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