Exeter Claims Victory Over Benetton with Slade's Winning Penalty

A dramatic late penalty by Henry Slade secured Exeter's 44-41 victory over Benetton, setting up a semi-final match against Ulster in Belfast. After Jacob Umaga's try gave Benetton a 41-38 lead with 15 minutes remaining, Slade equalized with a penalty four minutes later and then sealed the win with another penalty in the 78th minute, sparking outrage among the home fans. The first half was marked by a frantic pace, with Exeter leading 14-7 after Olly Woodburn's early score and a penalty try. They extended their lead to 24-14 when Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scored and Slade added a conversion and a penalty. However, the hosts leveled the score by halftime, thanks to an impressive try by Onisi Ratave and a conversion and penalty by Umaga. Exeter regained the lead two minutes into the second half with Harvey Skinner's converted try. Although Bautista Bernasconi brought Benetton level, Exeter took a 38-31 lead when Andrea Zambonin scored in the 48th minute. Umaga's second penalty in the 63rd minute and his subsequent try, which he converted, gave Benetton their first lead since the eighth minute. Nonetheless, Slade's kicking proved decisive in the end. In another match, Investec Champions Cup holders Bordeaux defeated Toulouse 30-15 to set up a semi-final against Bath. Toulouse started strongly at Stade Chaban-Delmas but Bordeaux's defense held firm until Maxime Lamothe scored off a maul in the 23rd minute. The visitors immediately responded with a try by Romain Ntamack after Yoram Moefana failed to catch the kick-off. A late first-half stoppage occurred when Toulouse prop Dorian Aldegheri was given a 20-minute red card for a high-danger challenge on Damian Penaud, who required a head injury assessment. Despite this, Toulouse took the lead into the break with a sweeping passing move that sent Teddy Thomas clear down the right. 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, while Toulouse's Antoine Dupont was briefly yellow-carded for a trip. Bordeaux took control of the tie with Ben Tameifuna's try and Maxime Lucu's long-range penalty. Any hopes of a Toulouse comeback were dashed when Arthur Retiere scored Bordeaux's fourth try, followed by another Lucu penalty.