Benetton Rugby continued their perfect record against Isuzu Southern Kings in the Guinness PRO14 as they recorded a bonus-point victory.

The Italian side had struggled to reignite their form of last season thus far, but they began well against the Kings with Angelo Esposito scoring early.

Ian Keatley extended the lead before the break and Benetton put in a dominant performance in the second half with three tries to grab their first win of the season.

Key moments

A tense opening encounter saw Kings put their noses in front through the boot of Demetri Catrakalis but Benetton gained their footing with Esposito’s score.

The Italian side went down to 14 men with Toa Halafihi sent to the sin bin, but an outstanding defensive effort ensured no points were conceded.

Keatley extended Benetton’s advantage with his boot and then dotted down before the break, while Iliesa Ratuva joined the party to compound Kings’ misery.

Further tries from Juan Ignacio and Federico Ruzza sealed the result for Benetton but Kings never gave up.

Rossouw de Klerk’s try in the 65th gave them momentum and late scores from Christopher Hollis and Bobby de Wee left Siya Masuku’s boot to secure the losing bonus point.

Man of the match – Ian Keatley

In his 200th Guinness PRO14 appearance, Keatley was at the heart of Benetton’s attack.

The fly-half touched down before half-time and created another, seeing the space for Ignacio to score the crucial fourth.

Play of the day

Benetton scored a variety of tries but it was the bonus-point offering which proved crucial.

From just inside the half, Keatley saw the space for Ignacio to run into, a lucky bounce and missed pick-up later and the ball was dotted down next to the posts.

Cardiff City Stadium will play host to the 2020 Guinness PRO14 Final on June 20 as one of the most exciting days in the club rugby calendar comes to Wales!

General sale tickets are available from http://bit.ly/PRO14Cardiff2020 and prices start at just £13 for concessions and £26 for adults (subject to booking fees), that’s a 15% early bird discount. Family ticket (2 adults / 2 children) prices begin at £64 and fans are encouraged to buy early to get the best value tickets