Exeter Claims Victory Over Benetton with Slade's Winning Penalty

A dramatic late penalty kick by Henry Slade secured Exeter's 44-41 win over Benetton, setting the stage for a semi-final match against Ulster in Belfast. Benetton had taken the lead with 15 minutes remaining through Jacob Umaga's try, but Slade's penalty leveled the score four minutes later, and he sealed the victory with another kick in the 78th minute, sparking outrage among the home fans. The first half was marked by a frenetic pace, with Exeter leading 14-7 after an early try by Olly Woodburn and a penalty try, before extending their lead to 24-14 with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's try and Slade's conversion and penalty. However, the hosts drew level at halftime following a spectacular try by Onisi Ratave, accompanied by a conversion and penalty from Umaga. Exeter regained the lead two minutes into the second half with Harvey Skinner's converted try, but Bautista Bernasconi's effort brought Benetton back level. Exeter then took a 38-31 lead when Andrea Zambonin scored from close range in the 48th minute. Umaga's second penalty and subsequent try, which he converted, gave Benetton their first lead since the eighth minute, but Slade's decisive kick ultimately decided the outcome. In another match, reigning Investec Champions Cup champions Bordeaux overcame Toulouse 30-15 to advance to 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. Toulouse responded immediately from the restart as Yoram Moefana failed to catch the kick-off, allowing Romain Ntamack to dart in on the right. A late first-half stoppage occurred after Toulouse prop Dorian Aldegheri made contact with Damian Penaud's head while kicking the ball, resulting in a 20-minute red card and a head injury assessment for Penaud. Despite this, Toulouse took the lead into the break with a sweeping passing move that sent Teddy Thomas clear down the right, making it 12-5. After Thomas Ramos extended Toulouse's advantage with an early second-half penalty, Bordeaux fought back. Matthieu Jalibert collected his own kick through on the right before diving over, and Toulouse were briefly down another player when Antoine Dupont received a yellow card for a trip in the 56th minute. 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 Toulouse comeback were dashed with six minutes left when Arthur Retiere touched down Bordeaux's fourth try in the corner, followed by Lucu's penalty.