Rugby: Petrarca Padova is champion of Italy
Rugby: Petrarca Padova è champion of Italy
Petrarca Padova è champion of Italy for the 15th time in its history. The Venetians beat a combative Viadana 28-10 in the final at the Lanfranchi stadium, which had been sold out for days in every order of seats. The man oft the match of the match è was Gonzalo Hughes.
First Half. In minute 2 the first chance to go for points is of Viadana: foul on the ground Petrarca on 40 meters, Farias does not miss from a central position, 3-0. Padova reacts and goes inside the 22 in attack, forcing a foul on the breakdown that Lyle turns into the equalizing penalty, 3-3. The match è immediately enjoyable, with the teams sizing each other up without, however, giving up open play, with the interlude of a couple of not-so-friendly dialectical exchanges between the two packs.
On 15’ a wrong lineout by the Venetians on the Viadanesi 22 triggers a major advance by the yellow-and-whites, who defy the defense by eating up about fifty yards before Lyle’s release. Padua è struggling in the lineout, Viadana by contrast appears more on the ball, both defensively and ball in hand, while on both sides the level of physical impacts is raised especially in the breakdown. At the 22’ Petrarca flash: stable platform of the HCL pack inside the 22, ball moved on the 10-15 axis and then soft offload for Esposito who inserts at full speedà going to glide safely into the goal. Lyle converts, 3-10.
Not two minutes pass that the Patavins concede an encore, this time moving out wide after crushing the Mantovans in their own 22 with a clever kick by Fernandez: ball coming out of the grouping passing through four hands, then the vertical cue of Captain Trotta who points his legs and accelerates going to dunk for 3-17 after Lyle’s conversion.
At the half-hour mark abrupt change of script: Viadana forces the one-on-one and finds satisfaction moving forward, going on an unstoppable drive that Padova tries to foully counter, for the penalty goal that brings the Mantuans back into the break. 10-17. Viadana flies on the enthusiasm and with the drive continues to put in great difficulty the opponents, who at 39’ seem to capitulate on the goal scored by Wagenpfeil, imbued on a millimetric cross kick by Farias: in the dynamics of the control the yellowonero flanker touches forò the lateral line, with Vedovelli called back by the TMO for a verification that sentences the no-try sending the teams to rest on 10-17.
Second Half. Immediately rough the teams’ return to the field, with the Viadanese bench getting their hands on the first changes up front, while Hughes returns rebalancing the numbers up front. Race kept mostly on the central strip in the first 10’, then Viadana moved Sauze’s legs and created problems by aiming to play away from the meeting point working on the side corridors scouting on both fronts, with Padova però always very reactive in defense.
At the end of the third quarter, the score moves again: foul on the ground Viadana on insistent Petrarchina action, Lyle does not forgive even from a defiladed position on the right and brings his at a safe distance, partial going to 10 to 20.The two staffs move the formations with repeated grafts from the benches, but the race remains in a state of absolute balance, with the defenses to rise to the cathedra.
With 10’ to go the ball recovered on the ground by the bianconeri, Farias goes wide and on the Broggin-De Masi hinge finds meters for the tight insertion of the newly-entered Scagnolari, who in between two defenders comes close to the number of the night by failing a difficult off-load. Padua insists, which seems to have more horsepower among the forwards, while in front Viadana è very good at “fouling” all the d’meeting points remaining clinging to the match.
At 73’ orderly scrum inside Viadana’s 22, the Petrarchan introduction è winning and forcing a foul on a Viadana that registered a physical decline: Lyle è accurate from comfortable potion, 10-23 and serious mortgage on the final result.
Last minutes: Viadana tries but è bitten by the rush to go for points, losing lucidity à in possession. With the clock slipping in the final seconds the death blow: Padua recovers the ball and passes the half; Fernandez has the right idea and with a grabber behind the line in opposition slips away from the defenders to take back the oval flying into the goal under the Padua torcida, decreeing victory and title number 15 that greets the 2023-2024 Serie A Elite season in a stadium flooded with strong and opposing emotions.
The match scoreboard:
Parma, Stadio Lanfranchi – Sunday, June 2, 2024, k.o. 5:30 pm
SERIES A FINAL ÉMALE LITE
live simulcast Rai 2 – DAZN
Rugby Viadana 1970 v Petrarca Rugby 10-28 (p.t. 10-17)
Scorers: PT 2’ c.p. Farias (3-0); 6’ c.p. Lyle (3-3); 22’ m. Esposito, t. Lyle (3-10); 24’ m. Trotta, t. Lyle (3-17); 33’ m. penalty Viadana (10-17); ST 59’ cp Lyle (10-20); 73’ c.p. Lyle (10-23); 80’ m. Fernandez, n.t. (10-28)
Rugby Viadana 1970: Sauze; Bronzini (27’ st Madero – 32’ st Gregorio HIA), Morosini (24’ Ciardullo), Jannelli (C), Ciofani; Farias, Baronio; Ruiz, Wagenpfeil, (12’ st Boschetti), Locatelli; Lavorenti (17’ st Catalano), Schinchirimini; Mignucci (1’ st Oubina), Luccardi (39’ Denti), Mistretta (1’ st Fiorentini)
Available: Fiorentini, Denti, Oubina, Boschetti, Catalano, Gregorio, Madero, Ciardullo
Head Coach: Gilberto Pavan
Petrarch Rugby: Lyle (39’ st Citton); Fou (26’ st Scagnolari), De Masi, Broggin, Esposito; Fernandez, Tebaldi; Trotta (C), Nostran (15’ st Vunisa), Casolari (9’ st Romanini); Ghigo (23’ st Michieletto), Galetto; Hughes (39’ st Bizzotto), Cugini (9’ st Montilla), Borean (14’ st Brugnara)
At disposal:Brugnara, Montilla T., Bizzotto, Michieletto, Vunisa, Citton, Scagnolari, Romanini
Head Coach: Andrea Marcato
Referee: Federico Vedovelli
Assistants: Riccardo Angelucci and Manuel Bottino
Fourth Man: Simone Boaretto
TMO: Stefano Roscini
Cards: 34’ yellow to Hughes (PET);
Scorers: Farias (VIA) 1/1; Lyle (PET) 4/4; Esposito 0/1
Player of the Match: Gonzalo Hughes (Petrarca Padova)
