Tuilagi rescues Tigers from youngster's Italian job

Benetton Treviso 29 Leicester Tigers 34

Leicester's shortcomings were brutally exposed by their unfancied opponents before Alesana Tuilagi's late try saved them from a humiliating defeat. The giant Samoan wing powered home to finish a breathtaking length-of-the-field attack, just three minutes from time.

Leicester, who were again without the England fly-half Toby Flood, were trailing 29-27 at the time and facing a first defeat on Italian soil, despite outscoring their hosts on tries. Few present would have begrudged Treviso an historic win.

A 19-year-old was almost too good for the two-time Heineken Cup champions. Tommaso Benvenuti, a dashing Italy Under-20 centre, scored glorious solo tries in either half as well as kicking a drop-goal.

Leicester's director of rugby, Richard Cockerill, said: "Getting a win away from home in the first round is a good result, especially with a bonus point. If anyone was under any illusions about Treviso then they won't be now, but we didn't take them lightly at all. We were inaccurate, we scored five tries but created enough chances to score eight or nine. But give the players huge credit for winning the way they did. We must have gone through a dozen phases to score. Other sides might have given up."

Flood's return from a knee injury was delayed when he failed a fitness test. The centre Dan Hipkiss pulled up in the warm-up. The ensuing midfield changes hurt Leicester as several chances went begging due to poor handling in the threequarters. They also missed a regular kicker as Billy Twelvetrees, their stand-in No10, missed three of seven attempts.

The centre Matt Smith tore through to score after 93 seconds however, showing a neat step before galloping over from 30 metres. The Tigers scrum stamped its authority and Ben Youngs made a bright start at scrum-half. But still the Tigers were subjected to an extremely uncomfortable 80 minutes.

Benvenuti had the confidence of youth and the speed to match it. His first try came after he raced on to the No 8 Paul Derbyshire's half-break and stepped around Leinster's full-back and captain, Geordan Murphy, with ease. Kristopher Burton kicked the conversion. Twelvetrees kicked a penalty before setting up Leicester's second try. Murphy and Tuilagi took the ball on before Craig Newby drove over from close range.

However, a second conversion sailed wide and Burton kicked a penalty and a drop-goal before half-time, before nudging Treviso ahead two minutes into the second half. They were down to 14 men at the time, after Robert Barbieri was sent to the sin-bin for a professional foul. Leicester's own Italian, the prop Martin Castrogiovanni, then barged over for a try on 47 minutes. This time Twelve-trees converted but Leicester were having problems in the set-piece and they could not get to grips with Benvenuti, who had the pace to skip past Youngs on 50 minutes.

The England scrum-half's response was emphatic – he darted over from a scrum, seven minutes later. The conversion was good and the bonus point was in the bag. However, Burton kicked a third penalty and Benvenuti dropped a goal after Tuilagi had fluffed an easy chance.

With time ticking away, Leicester threw caution to the wind. Scott Hamilton and Tom Croft launched a final counter-attack from under their own posts and it ended with Tuilagi storming home, to finally settle the tie.

Benetton Treviso L McLean (J Maddock, 47); L Nitoglia, T Benvenuti, A Sgarbi, A Vilk; K Burton, F Semenzato; I Fernandez Rouyet (F Sbaraglini, 36), L Ghiraldini (D Vidal, 47), L Cittadini (P Di Santo, 47), A Pavanello (capt; E Pavanello, 62), C van Zyl, R Barbieri, P Derbyshire, A Zanni.

Leicester Tigers G Murphy (capt); S Hamilton, H Agulla, M Smith, A Tuilagi; B Twelvetrees, B Youngs; B Stankovich, G Chuter (R Hawkins, 59), M Castrogiovanni (D Cole, 59), E Slater, G Skivington, T Croft, T Waldrom, C Newby.

Referee P Gauzere (France).