Toulon taking Benetton ‘very seriously’

Toulon welcome a Benetton side who became the first Italian outfit to reach an EPCR semi-final when they defeated Cardiff Rugby 27-23 in Treviso earlier this month.

But despite their opponents’ inexperience at this stage of the competition, Sinzelle says Toulon are wary of their threat and will do everything in their power to reach a fifth EPCR Challenge Cup final.

“We will have to take this Italian team very seriously,” the 32-year-old said. “They play very good rugby and are very well structured with a nice back line. It’s a team who are growing.

“We want to leave our mark. We are lucky to be in the final phase of a competition. When you have the chance to win something, you have to seize the opportunity.

“We know it goes by fast. We don’t have the chance to reach the final every year. The seasons are hard. We must not waste our chances.”