<
>

Treviso claim comfortable PRO14 win over Southern Kings 



The Kings have struggled again in the Guinness PRO14 this season, and they were run ragged by Scarlets in September 2018. Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

The Southern Kings' disappointing start to the PRO14 season continued when they were beaten 28-5 by Italian side Treviso in driving wind and rain at the Stadio Monigo on Saturday.

The home side were aided by two penalty tries as they out-muscled their opponents and used the atrocious weather conditions to their favour with a powerful performance from the forwards.

Hooker Luca Bigi and scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage also crossed the tryline for the hosts, while the only score for the visitors came from wing Yaw Penxe.

The Kings' cause was also not helped by a red card for Justin Forwood 12 minutes into the second period.

The home side were ahead inside four minutes as Bigi barged over from a driving maul, before South African Duvenage nipped in to add a second within the first quarter.

The first of the penalty tries was awarded on 23 minutes and Schalk Oelofse was sent to the sin-bin as a result, a second yellow in the game for the visitors with Forwood having also previously spent 10 minutes on the sidelines.

Penxe got his side on the board with a score just past the half-hour mark as Treviso led 21-5 at the break.

A second penalty try, and a second yellow for Forwood, followed on 52 minutes as the Kings had no answer to the forward power of their hosts in the wet, with both teams struggling to string phases together in the final quarter.

The victory was a third of the season for Treviso and ended a three-game losing run, while the Kings have won just one of their six games and sit bottom of Group B.