United Rugby Championship: Dragons beaten 31-21 by Benetton

The Italians, who featured 12 internationals in their XV, muscled their way to a comprehensive four-try victory in Newport.

The Dragons had beaten the Ospreys on opening weekend before suffering narrow defeats to the South African pair of the Sharks and Lions.

However, Benetton produced and impressive show of strength to suggest that they will be contenders again after being play-off quarter-finalists last season.

There was no shortage of aggression and endeavour from Dai Flanagan’s squad but they were overpowered at the set piece and had far too high an error count to stand a chance of upsetting the odds.

The Dragons trailed 10-7 at the break after failing to take their chances in attack, with their points coming from defence thanks to an interception try by centre Joe Westwood.

A Lloyd Evans try, after he was first to a botched lineout, kept them in touch on the hour but then the Italians finished impressively to ensure they left with a five-point haul.

The Dragons finished with a shot at earning a pair of bonuses after Shane Lewis-Hughes’ close-range try but came up short on a frustrating evening.

They could, maybe should, have won their meetings with the South Africans but could have no complaints about this result.

CARRY: Ben Carter of Dragons is tackled by Bautista Bernasconi of Benetton (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)

Welsh-Italian legend Joe Calzaghe strolled along the touchline before kick-off and there was plenty of jabbing in the opening exchanges of a game played between the 22s with defences on top.

The Dragons had a chance to open the scoring in the 10th minute when a penalty was kicked to the 22 only for the lineout, which had been iffy even in the warm-up, to go wrong.

However, their defence was proving to be solid and disciplined in the face of some direct and enterprising attack from the Italians.

The Dragons were given a chance to put the squeeze on in the 16th minute when the TMO alerted Irish referee Peter Martin to scrum-half Rhodri Williams being caught on the chin by Bautista Bernasconi when he was clearing out a ruck.

The Benetton hooker was shown yellow and the hosts had their first real shot at scoring in the 20th minute from an overthrow by his temporary replacement Marco Manfredi.

The ball was spread left for Jared Rosser to race away only for his inside pass to be intercepted by centre Malakai Fekitoa.

Another chance was blown in the 24th minute when Wales winger Rio Dyer made a big line break but fly-half Lloyd Evans flung a wild pass to his left behind the support runners.

Scrum-half Rhodri Williams then did the same to the right in the 22, followed by the Dragons being penalised.

It looked like Benetton would make it through their sin-bin period unscathed but then Westwood snaffled a pass by Ignacio Brex in the 26th minute.

JOY: Joe Westwood of Dragons celebrates scoring a try with team mates (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)

The centre raced away and, with wing Louis Lynagh in pursuit, just had enough pace to slide over the line for his first Dragons try.

Evans added the simple conversion but opposite number Jacob Umaga swiftly cut the gap with a penalty.

The Dragons compounded the error of that offence by getting ahead of kicker Evans at the restart, with the resulting scrum leading to a penalty that was kicked to the 22.

Another penalty allowed them to kick to five metres out and they powered over for a try by Bernasconi, with Mr Martin happy to give the grounding through a pile of bodies.

Umaga converted and the Dragons frustratingly trailed 10-7 at the break despite keeping the Italians at arm’s length for most of the half.

The bad spell continued when Wales back rower Taine Basham dropped the kick-off and more errors followed under the high ball.

That proved to be costly when Rhodri Williams failed to gather, was absolutely levelled (to the fury of the Dragons faithful) and the loose ball led to tighthead Enzo Avaca going over after charging through the tackles of flanker Harri Keddie and fly-half Evans.

Umaga converted and at 17-7 the hosts needed a response, and got one in unconventional fashion.

Full-back Angus O’Brien’s delicate kick through earned a close-range lineout but jumper Ryan Woodman was overthrown.

No matter, it was gathered by Evans to score a try that he converted himself to make it 17-14 with half an hour to go.

The Dragons stayed on the front foot only to be denied in the 22 by a timely jackal by Manuel Zuliani as the hosts scented another score.

It proved to be a crucial intervention with the Italians going down the other end to score a third try through their power game, replacement hooker Marco Manfredi muscling over from close range after penalties were kicked to the corner.

The extras made it 24-14 and time was running out for the Dragons, and it was game over in the 68th minute when a dominant scrum led to number eight Lorenzo Cannone going over in the 67th minute, with the conversion making it 31-14.

The Dragons responded well and, after a burst by replacement scrum-half Dane Blacker got them into the 22, a try by Shane Lewis-Hughes, back at flanker from lock, gave them a shot at bonuses.

Sadly, they failed to play with enough accuracy and now they must lick their wounds before finishing the first block of the URC at Connacht next Saturday.

Dragons: O’Brien; Dyer, Westwood, Owen (S Hughes 60), J Rosser; L Evans (E Rosser 68), R Williams (Blacker 68); Martinez (C Jones 51), Coghlan (Burrows 60), Brown (Coleman 60), Lewis-Hughes, Carter (captain), Woodman (Cummins 51), Keddie, Basham (Lydiate 51).

Scorers: tries – Westwood, L Evans, Lewis-Hughes,; conversions – L Evans (2), O’Brien.

Benetton scorers: tries – Bernasconi, Avaca, Manfredi, Cannone; conversions – Umaga (2), Albornoz (2); penalty – Umaga.

Referee: Peter Martin (Ireland).

Attendance: 4,132.