Turning weakness into strength has been a pivotal shift for Benetton Rugby in the past two years, but their rise into the Guinness PRO14 Final Series last season provided real evidence of Kieran Crowley’s coaching work. Prior to the New Zealander’s arrival in Treviso, the Italian side historically shipped an average of 574 points a season which is about 26 per game. But that defensive frailty was even more pronounced in the three seasons preceding his arrival where the 600-plus barrier had been breached in each campaign. In this victory at home to Glasgow Warriors last season Benetton are a team transformed from the side that couldn’t rely on their defence to consistently win them games. Warriors arrived with their own title push well under way and had a track record of putting up points on some of the biggest teams in the Guinness PRO14.
