Can Cardiff deal with Benetton's Fijian 'machine'?

Whoever gets the nod on Cardiff's right wing for Saturday's Challenge Cup trip to Treviso will watch the Benetton team announcement with interest.

The Blue and Blacks are combining a push for the United Rugby Championship (URC) play-offs with a tilt at European success.

Cardiff, Challenge Cup winners in 2010 and 2018, have mixed up their side throughout the campaign in 2025-26 but still progressed to the last 16.

Defeat at Exeter in their final group fixture means they go on their travels on Saturday to top seeds Benetton (17:30 BST), who have made Europe a priority.

The hosts - who provided 16 members of Italy's Six Nations squad - have plenty of firepower and could feature Onisi Ratave on the left wing.

The powerful and skillful Fijian has only played seven games this season and four of those have been against Welsh sides.

The 33-year-old scored three tries in two games against Dragons, a brace against Ospreys and also caused Scarlets plenty of problems.

"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 Scrum V podcast after Benetton's win against Ospreys a fortnight ago.

Since signing from Fijian Drua in 2022, Ratave has scored 11 tries in nine fixtures against the four clubs from Wales and has failed to cross in only two of those games.

Ratave, who is uncapped given Fiji's riches out wide, signed a one-year contract extension with Benetton in March that will take him into a fifth campaign at Stadio Monigo.

His stats show just why he is so popular in Treviso.

In five URC games this season, Ratave has scored four tries, made 13 clean breaks, carried for 45 times for 408 metres, beaten 18 defenders and offloaded nine times.

According to the official league stats, the wing has kicked just twice.

In two Challenge Cup games against Dragons and Lyon he has racked up 311 metres over 23 carries, making 10 clean breaks, beating 14 defenders to score two tries and provide 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."

That is quite a statement given the game-breakers in a Benetton squad that also features Tommaso Menoncello, one of the best outside centres in the world.

Cardiff will need to be at their defensive best if they are to cause an upset and earn a quarter-final trip to either Exeter or Munster.