Rugby Serie B: First place is increasingly distant. Chico & Co. eleven points from the top. Emil Banca, this is really hurting

THEEmil Bank throws it away. Ahead 33-15 at half time the team of Francesco Brolis he is overtaken and beaten by Brixia 33-41 in the clash between the second-placed teams and now they are 11 points behind the league leaders Modena victorious in Rovato. Great disappointment for Emil Banca, who after a perfect first half, was overtaken by a tough Brixia and suffered a defeat that extinguished the promotion ambitions and probably also that of a second place for the rossoblù.

A real shame, which does not find continuity of play in a second half to forget. before the scoring at 5' Zambrella with a try transformed by Chico; Brescia momentarily overturns the score, but in the second part of the first quarter the tries again by Zambrella transformed by Chico at 21', Silvestri always transformed by Chico at 26', the guest one by Fiorini at 29' and finally those by De Napoli at 33' and Pancaldi transformed by Chico at 40' set the score at 33-15 for Bologna. It seems done and instead in the second half Brixia overturns the score taking the lead 33-34 at 63'. With ten minutes to go, Bologna finally returns to attack and with Visentin brings the ball to the try, but the defense holds up the Bologna forward who is unable to crush the oval. Bologna seemed reinvigorated, but Brixia held firm and scored the sixth try at the last minute, which was converted, which also took away the second bonus point from Bologna.

The other matches: Botticino-Sondrio 29-19, Bergamo-Lyons PIacenza 17-15, Rovato-Modena 21-33, Colorno-Pieve 29-7.

The ranking: Modena 58; Brixia 51; Bologna 47; Bergamo 46; Lyons 37; Colorno 39; Rovato 34; Sondrio 29; Botticino 25; Pieve 24.

Filippo Mazzoni