The playmaker was pivotal, scoring 11 points during a stylish super-sub display in his first game back in England for 15 months, with the Italian side dominating the second half to score eight tries and effectively seal a home round of 16 tie.
Newcastle's 14th defeat in a row the club's second-ever longest losing streak knocks them out of the cup and means next weekend's clash away at Perpignan decides Pool 2's wooden spoon.
Benetton centre Tommaso Menoncello, who scored two tries on his injury return, said: "I'm very happy, it's my first 80 minutes for some time, so I'm very proud of mine and the team's game.
"I'm confident with Ignacio Brex at centre, over the last year I've played a lot with him and he helps me play very well.
"It was our mission to leave Newcastle with five points, it feels very good and it was a tough game. We've now got a lot of work to do before Montpellier next week."
This story is from the January 14, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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This story is from the January 14, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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