Epalahame Faiva came on to score a double for Benetton Rugby to help his side to a bonus-point victory over Toyota Cheetahs and secure a third Guinness PRO14 win in a row.

The first half was a tense affair, punctuated by three penalties from Cheetahs fly-half Fred Zeilinga and lit up by Monty Ioane’s score just before the break.

After the interval Benetton were momentarily pegged back by Teboho Mohoje’s try, but then stormed into the lead thanks to a double from Faiva and one try for Federico Ruzza – the Cheetahs’ reduction to 13 men proving crucial.

When back to their full complement the South Africans attempted to even things up but a late try for Mohoje wasn’t enough to prevent defeat in Italy.

As both sides tried to feel the way into the match the first chance fell to the visitors, with Zeilinga making no mistake with the boot from 40 metres to open the scoring.

The Italian outfit tried to exert their influence but several handling errors prevented any real ground being made, and soon found themselves 9-0 down with Zeilinga again keeping the scoreboard ticking over.

But Benetton got their first score in style, building an attack through multiple phases before Banks made the crucial break just past the halfway line, passing inside to Ioane who had an unopposed run to the line.

Banks hit the post with the tricky conversion to leave the score 9-5 at the interval, but did find his range immediately after the break with a shot right in front of the posts.

The South African side responded immediately with their first five-pointer of the afternoon, Mohoje getting the crucial touch and Zeilinga again displaying laser-guided kicking ability with the conversion from the touchline.

Benetton fought their way back downfield and to within metres of the Cheetahs line when Torsten Van Jaarsveld saw yellow for cynical play at the breakdown.

The men from Treviso pummelled into the opposition line and couldn’t find the breakthrough, but their task was made simpler when Cheetahs scrum-half Shaun Venter followed Van Jaarsveld into the bin, also seeing yellow.

The inevitable try was touched down in the corner by replacement Faiva in the 59^th minute, with Banks missing the conversion to leave the score at 16-13 to the visitors on the hour.

Benetton sensed blood and marched back down the field from the restart, with Ruzza grabbing their third try next to the posts and Faiva completing his double, burrowing over at the back of a forward drive.

When back to up to 15 the Cheetahs rallied, but Mohoje’s second score of the afternoon came too late to affect the result.

Lauren Hemp struck in each half to give Bristol City a winning start to 2018 with their second FA Women’s Super League 1 of the season.

Though Georgia Brougham nodded the Merseysiders back into contention 17 minutes from the end, they were unable to conjure up a leveller as Bristol leapfrogged them in the table.

The home side had an early chance to take the lead in the sixth minute, but Chloe Arthur could only fire her right-footed shot from 14 yards straight at Everton keeper Lizzie Durack.

But four minutes later they made their breakthrough. Yana Daniels advanced down the left and provided a square ball into the box which was lashed home by England youth international Hemp.

Everton’s only clear chance of the opening period came just after the half-hour when Bristol somehow survived a goalmouth scramble, Everton striker Sophie Sweetman-Kirk unable to force the ball home from point-blank range as it struck keeper Sophuie Baggaley and then the post before being scramble away.

But the Vixens were only inches away from doubling their lead just before the break when Hemp’s free kick from the right was flicked just over the bar by Millie Turner.

Hemp had two more chances soon after the interval. Eight minutes after the break, a well-worked corner found her in space eight yards out, but she blazed her shot off target.

Then a poor clearance by Durack saw Chloe Arthur send her clear, the Everton keeper making amends by pulling off a diving stop.

Hemp’s second goal finally arrived from the penalty sport in the 57th minute after Daniels was brought down, the striker leaving Durack rooted to the spot as she fired her attempt firmly to the keeper’s right.

But Everton refused to lie down and pulled a goal back in the 73rd minute, defender Georgia Brougham credited with the final touch as a sea of heads rose to meet a flighted ball into Bristol’s box.

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