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It has only been a few weeks since Benetton narrowly missed out on the United Rugby Championship (URC) playoffs, but the man they have chosen to replace outgoing head coach Marco Bortolami is already getting down to work.
It has only been a few weeks since Benetton narrowly missed out on the United Rugby Championship (URC) playoffs, but the man they have chosen to replace outgoing head coach Marco Bortolami is already getting down to work.
Calum MacRae already knows the Benetton players well, having been their attack coach since 2022, and he will soon be waving off 13 players for Italy’s three test tour to Namibia and South Africa.
Last season Benetton reached the URC playoffs for the first time, but they were unable to match that feat and finished 10th in the table, two points behind the Scarlets in the eighth and final playoff place.
Part of the problem was the six defeats they suffered on away trips. The most notable was the 56-5 loss to the Stormers in Cape Town which left the Treviso-based side needing wins over the past two champions – Glasgow Warriors and Munster – in their final two fixtures to guarantee a playoff spot.
| # | Team | PL | W | L | D | PD | BP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Leinster Rugby | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 286 | 12 | 76 |
| 2 |  Vodacom Bulls | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 181 | 12 | 68 |
| 3 |  Hollywoodbets Sharks | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 34 | 10 | 62 |
| 4 |  Glasgow Warriors | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 141 | 15 | 59 |
| 5 |  DHL Stormers | 18 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 89 | 15 | 55 |
| 6 |  Munster Rugby | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 51 |
| 7 |  Edinburgh Rugby | 18 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 64 | 15 | 49 |
| 8 |  Scarlets | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 45 | 10 | 48 |
| 9 |  Cardiff Rugby | 18 | 8 | 9 | 1 | -68 | 13 | 47 |
| 10 |  Benetton Treviso | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | -85 | 8 | 46 |
| 11 |  Emirates Lions | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | -38 | 8 | 40 |
| 12 |  Ospreys | 18 | 7 | 10 | 1 | -17 | 10 | 40 |
| 13 |  Connacht Rugby | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | -52 | 15 | 39 |
| 14 |  Ulster Rugby | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | -92 | 10 | 38 |
| 15 |  Zebre Rugby | 18 | 5 | 12 | 1 | -201 | 7 | 29 |
| 16 |  Dragons | 18 | 1 | 17 | 0 | -302 | 5 | 09 |
CONSISTENT PERFORMANCES
They enjoyed their home comforts to defeat the Warriors but couldn’t hold back Munster in the second half and lost 30-21 despite leading 14-10 at halftime.
Bortolami previously identified Benetton’s need to make away trips more profitable. Home and away they accrued eight bonus points throughout the season, the least outside the bottom two sides Zebre and Dragons.
“For this role it is crucial to create a competitive environment within the team,” MacRae said. “The consistency of performances will then be fundamental.
“Since my arrival at Benetton Rugby, I have witnessed a very high level of competition. For me now it is about making the team consistent in every match: both home at Stadio Monigo, and when we play abroad.”
MacRae formerly coached Newcastle Falcons, Edinburgh, and Scotland 7s before taking Bortolami’s call. Like the former Italy captain, MacRae will move up from assistant, as Bortolami did when he took over from Kieran Crowley in 2021.
BUILDING BLOCKS
Benetton have already announced backrow Jadin Kingi’s signing, while Englishman Peter Wilkins has joined MacRae’s staff as attack coach.
MacRae will also be aware that Benetton need to make a quicker start to the season. By the end of the sixth round of URC fixtures they had already suffered three defeats, and didn’t record their first win until Round 4.
“For me we must develop the mentality to compete every day in Ghirada (Benetton’s training centre), in every training session,” MacRae said. “Then, with the new coaches who will join the club during the summer, it is important to create the game plan and the clear identity of the team in the future.
“The defence will have to be strong, and we will have to move in unison. In attack we must build an organised game plan, in which we will have to utilise our players’ speed.”