Exeter Claims Victory Over Benetton With Slade's Winning Penalty

Exeter secured a narrow 44-41 win over Benetton, advancing to the Challenge Cup semi-finals against Ulster, thanks to a decisive penalty kick by Henry Slade in the 78th minute. The match saw numerous lead changes, with Jacob Umaga's try giving Benetton a 41-38 lead before Slade's equalizing penalty and subsequent game-winning kick. Earlier in the game, Exeter took a 14-7 lead with Olly Woodburn's score and a penalty try, and later extended it to 24-14 with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's try and Slade's conversion and penalty. The hosts leveled the score by halftime, but Exeter regained the lead in the second half with Harvey Skinner's converted try. Although Bautista Bernasconi and Andrea Zambonin scored tries for their respective teams, Umaga's penalty and try put Benetton in front. However, Slade's accurate kicking ultimately sealed the win for Exeter. In another match, Bordeaux defeated Toulouse 30-15 to set up a semi-final against Bath, with Maxime Lamothe, Matthieu Jalibert, Ben Tameifuna, and Arthur Retiere scoring tries for the winning team.