Welcome to Spritz and Scrums, the 1st English-speaking Italian rugby podcast by 3 Benetton Rugby fans who love drinking spritz and chatting all things Rugby Italia.
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Connacht vs Zebre / Benetton vs Glasgow - URC Round 4 Review
Spritz and Scrums is back, and we are on a train from Venice to Rome still reeling from a heartbreaking weekend of Italian rugby. Benetton blew a 17-nil lead against Glasgow to lose in the final three minutes, while Zebre scored five tries away at Connacht but still came up short. We break down the brilliance of Benetton's first 50 minutes, the six-minute yellow-card collapse, questionable bench decisions, and why young props need to learn the dark arts of referee management. Then it's on to Zebre's encouraging attacking displays, their ongoing defensive struggles, and the emerging young talent coming through. Off the pitch, the "Lyon Fund" betting strategy is in tatters (£100 down and counting), someone's stolen a pair of personalized Ray-Bans from the stadium, and Coach is fuming about Guinness pour times. Plus: injury updates for Italy ahead of the Autumn Nations, who should replace Lamaro as Azzurri captain, and a very happy birthday to Louis Warchon.
| 0:00 | Intro: On the train, five weeks nil wins
| 1:12 | Benetton vs Glasgow: The heartbreak begins
| 2:10 | First half brilliance: 17-nil and flying
| 4:39 | The collapse: Six minutes, three tries, yellow card
| 6:34 | Experience vs youth: Scrums, refs & Lions savvy
| 7:58 | Injuries: Lamaro's 100th cap ends in broken hand
| 8:59 | Bench decisions: Why did they take Rhino off?
| 10:07 | The Lyon Fund: Betting against your own team
| 13:08 | Connacht vs Zebre: Five tries away from home
| 15:25 | Zebre's defense: Effort without a plan
| 16:18 | Stabile's smash & the Argentina question
| 16:50 | Young talent: Zebre's whipper-snappers
| 17:57 | Next week: Benetton vs Edinburgh, Zebre vs Dragons
| 19:07 | Being supporters: Highs, lows & social media
| 21:00 | What made Coach mad: Guinness pour times
| 21:55 | The stolen Ray-Bans saga
| 23:03 | Italy's injury crisis & the captaincy question
| 23:48 | Outro: Happy birthday Louis Warchon
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22 Oct 2026
Castres vs Benetton / Zebre vs Ulster – EPRC Round 1 Review
Welcome back to the Italian Rugby Podcast! Four weeks in, zero wins from eight across both Benetton and Zebre — but we're still here, and so are you.
In this episode we break down Benetton's European Challenge Cup opener away at Castres (18-9 loss), where the attack still isn't clicking and the basics are letting them down. We also cover Zebre's Challenge Cup clash at home to Ulster (21-40), where a 19-0 halftime deficit was met with a spirited second-half fightback that earned bonus-point respect.
00:00 - Welcome & going family-friendly
05:00 - Castres vs Benetton match review
09:00 - Benetton's basic skills issues
13:00 - Glasgow preview & Franco Smith warning
17:00 - Full-time score & highlights analysis
21:00 - Benetton vs Zebre expectations
25:00 - Zebre vs Ulster match review
32:00 - Zebre's passion & spirit
41:00 - Coach's Florence adventures
45:00 - Autumn test squad & sign-off
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14 Oct 2026
Scarlets vs Benetton / Zebre vs Edinburgh
Both Italian sides remain winless after three rounds of the United Rugby Championship. Benetton threw away another game with poor tackling, while Zebre showed fight despite losing to table-topping Edinburgh. The hosts look ahead to the EPCR as a fresh start, share a wild night out at an Irish bar, and predict Italy will shock France in the Six Nations.
00:00 — Intro & welcome from Florence
00:55 — Benetton vs Scarlets: lost 27-26
01:25 — Benetton's table position: 15th, all losses to bottom-half teams
02:17 — First half good, second half collapse
02:30 — Lewis Liner standout performance
03:12 — Tackling problems & Retafa's missed tackle
05:17 — Bad attitude coming out after halftime
05:55 — Forward pack dominance not exploited
08:50 — Team-wide attitude problem, not individuals
10:40 — Controversial disallowed try (came off his knee)
12:39 — Final score & who is Owens?
13:14 — Zebre vs Edinburgh review begins
14:28 — Fusco's brilliant try from his own 22
15:24 — Zebre's positives: energy, drive, camaraderie
17:18 — Looking ahead: EPCR — Benetton vs Castres, Zebre vs Ulster
19:21 — What made Coach Mad: not exploiting patterns
19:51 — Meeting the 19-year-old Australians in Florence
21:23 — Shout-out: The Old Stove Irish Bar
22:24 — Outro: Italian rugby not looking good
22:48 — Prediction: Italy will beat France in the Six Nations
23:59 — Sign-off
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4.9 / 5
79 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 41 / 100
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Quality
51
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0
YouTube
0
Engagement
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