Cardiff Faces Challenge Against Benetton's Fijian Wing
Whoever is selected to play on Cardiff's right wing for Saturday's Challenge Cup match in Treviso will be keenly observing the Benetton team announcement. The Blue and Blacks are balancing their pursuit of a United Rugby Championship (URC) play-off spot with ambitions for European success.
Cardiff, winners of the Challenge Cup in 2010 and 2018, have rotated their squad throughout the 2025-26 campaign but have still advanced to the last 16 stage. After a defeat at Exeter in their final group game, they travel on Saturday to face top seeds Benetton (kick-off 17:30 BST), who have prioritized European competition.
The hosts, who contributed 16 players to Italy's Six Nations squad, possess significant attacking threats and may include Onisi Ratave on the left wing.
Onisi Ratave: The Fijian Force
The powerful and skillful Fijian winger has featured in only seven games this season, four of which were against Welsh teams. The 33-year-old scored three tries in two matches against Dragons, two against Ospreys, and also troubled Scarlets extensively.
"Ratave on the wing, he's just a monster and it's how they get the ball to him," said former Wales fly-half James Hook on the Scrum V podcast following Benetton's victory over Ospreys two weeks ago.
Since joining from Fijian Drua in 2022, Ratave has scored 11 tries in nine matches against the four Welsh clubs, failing to score in only two of those games. Despite Fiji's depth in wing options, Ratave remains uncapped internationally.
In March, Ratave signed a one-year contract extension with Benetton, committing him to a fifth season at Stadio Monigo.
His performance statistics highlight his importance to the Treviso side. In five URC games this season, Ratave has scored four tries, made 13 clean breaks, carried the ball 45 times for 408 metres, beaten 18 defenders, and executed nine offloads. According to official league statistics, he has kicked only twice.
In two Challenge Cup matches against Dragons and Lyon, he accumulated 311 metres from 23 carries, made 10 clean breaks, beat 14 defenders, scored two tries, and provided one assist.
"He's an absolute machine," said former Bristol scrum-half Andy Uren after Benetton's draw at Dragons in January. "You see how deadly he is and what he can do when he gets the ball, so we need to feed him more."
This praise is notable considering the other game-breakers in Benetton’s squad, including Tommaso Menoncello, regarded as one of the best outside centres globally.
Cardiff's Defensive Challenge
Cardiff will need to be at their defensive best to contain Ratave and the rest of the Benetton squad if they hope to cause an upset and secure a quarter-final trip to face either Exeter or Munster.
