Exeter Claims Victory Over Benetton with Slade's Winning Penalty

A dramatic late penalty from Henry Slade sealed Exeter's 44-41 win over Benetton, setting up a semi-final Challenge Cup match against Ulster in Belfast. After Jacob Umaga's try gave the hosts a 41-38 lead with 15 minutes remaining, Slade equalized with a penalty four minutes later and then scored the winning penalty in the 78th minute, sparking outrage among the home fans. The first half was marked by a frantic pace, with Exeter taking a 14-7 lead after an early try by Olly Woodburn and a penalty try, and then extending their advantage to 24-14 after Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scored and Slade added a conversion and a penalty. However, the hosts leveled the score at halftime after an impressive try by Onisi Ratave, followed by a conversion and a penalty from Umaga. Exeter regained the lead two minutes into the second half with a converted try by Harvey Skinner. Although Bautista Bernasconi pulled Benetton level, Exeter took a 38-31 lead when Andrea Zambonin scored from short range in the 48th minute. Umaga kicked his second penalty in the 63rd minute and then scored a try, which he converted, to give Benetton their first lead since the eighth minute. Nevertheless, Slade's kicking decided the outcome. In another match, Investec Champions Cup holders Bordeaux defeated Toulouse 30-15 to set up a semi-final against Bath. Toulouse made a strong start at Stade Chaban-Delmas but Bordeaux's defense held firm until Maxime Lamothe scored off a maul in the 23rd minute. The visitors responded immediately from the restart when Yoram Moefana failed to catch the kick-off, allowing Romain Ntamack to dart in on the right. A stoppage occurred late in the first half after Toulouse prop Dorian Aldegheri made head contact with Damian Penaud's shoulder, resulting in a 20-minute red card and a head injury assessment for Penaud. Despite this, Toulouse took the lead following a sweeping passing move that sent Teddy Thomas clear down the right, giving them a 12-5 advantage at halftime. After Thomas Ramos extended Toulouse's lead with an early second-half penalty, Bordeaux fought back. Matthieu Jalibert collected his own kick through and dove over, and Toulouse were briefly down another player when Antoine Dupont was shown a yellow card for a trip. Bordeaux took control of the quarter-final tie when Ben Tameifuna barged over and Maxime Lucu landed a long-range penalty just after the hour. Any hopes of a late comeback were dashed when Arthur Retiere touched down Bordeaux's fourth try in the corner, and Lucu slotted over another penalty.