Benetton: the Pivac era begins, and the test against Black Lion

After last Friday’s friendly against Zebre in Treviso (played in heavy humidity, “a safe 85%” by Danpat’s estimate), Benetton’s new technical cycle under head coach Wayne Pivac is officially underway, with Welshman Rhys Patchell in charge of attack and Peter Wilkins on defence.

In the season-opening episode of “Divagazioni di Rugby”, Danpat and Cristian Lovisetto urge caution on results: “This year I’m not expecting much in terms of results,” Danpat says, “it will be a settling-in year.” Allowing for the usual limits of a first post-summer outing, the pair felt something different in the team’s play already, even if the coaching staff kept “a few cards up its sleeve”.

The first real test comes this Saturday, when Benetton face Black Lion, the Georgian franchise DanPat will cover live on YouTube. The hosts wonder who’s currently in charge of Black Lion: the team is coached by Frenchman Pierre-Henry Broncan, with Marco Bortolami having moved on to a forwards-coach role with the Georgia national side. Black Lion, incidentally, spent the summer in the Toyota Challenge in South Africa alongside Portugal A and Romania A, facing South African franchises Griquas, Pumas and Cheetahs.

On Benetton, the question the hosts try to answer is simple: what would make the season a success? Danpat’s answer: “I’ll be happy at the end of the season if I see growth and the team digesting the new style of play. Not results, but performance.”

Source: “La stagione del Mondiale” episode of Divagazioni di Rugby, with Cristian Lovisetto (DanPat Rugby, 8 September 2026).

Read also: Challenge Cup or URC? Pivac’s choices for Benetton and the mentality the Lions still need