Cardiff Rugby head coach Matt Sherratt was left ruing his side’s lack of discipline as they saw a 19-17 lead with four minutes to go end in a 20-19 defeat against Benetton Rugby in a wet and windy Treviso.
There were three yellow cards and 15 penalties from Cardiff in a game that saw them take just one point instead of four to fall out of the top eight in the BKT United Rugby Championship.
Even thought they outscored the home side by three tries to two – Jim Botham, Ellis Bevan and Evan Lloyd crossing for the Blue & Blacks – it was the boot of Tomas Albornoz that finally determined the outcome after Cardiff were penalised at a late scrum.
The Argentinean international also scored a try to pick up 13 points on the night at Stadio di Monigo. The win pushed Benetton up into seventh place, although on the same points as the two teams immediately below them in Edinburgh and Cardiff.
“Hopefully that point at the end of the season proves important, but at the moment, it feels like three points lost rather than a point gained,” admitted Sherratt.
“It was a 15 to 8 penalty count, were three yellow cards and it’s difficult enough coming away from home without that. That was probably the difference in the game.”
“Eight days ago, we were jumping around after holding up the Lions in the last play of the game to get a win, and this week we lost it with two minute to go – that’s sport!
“It will hurt but we will have to let the dust settle, look through the game and make sure we don’t come back in on Tuesday and feel sorry for ourselves.”
Cardiff led 14-10 at the break before conceding a penalty try at the start of the second half. Lloyd’s try then hoisted the visitors back into the lead at 19-17 in the 67th minute before Albornoz won it at the death.