Dragons beaten by Benetton in Europe
Dragons RFC go into the final weekend of the EPCR Challenge Cup group stages knowing only a win on home soil will do after being swept aside by a powerful and ruthless Benetton performance in Treviso.
Hooker Oli Burrows grabbed a first half score for the Men of Gwent, but it was the Italians who cut loose with some blistering free-flowing rugby to storm to the bonus point by the break.
The result was never in question after the opening 40 minutes and Dragons searched for a try bonus with Rio Dyer and Shane Lewis-Hughes scoring to no avail.
The result leaves Dragons in fifth place in Pool 2 and knowing victory over Newcastle Red Bulls at home next Friday night could yet secure qualification for the knockout stages.
Early Benetton pressure secured a penalty, and Jacon Umaga opened the scoring with his first kick of the evening.
Dragons were having to work hard in defence early on and pile up the tackle count as the Italians controlled possession and territory.
A flat drilled pass from Huw Anderson to Ryan Woodman gave the visitors go forward as they looked to test the Benetton defensive line for the first time.
But it was Benetton that opened the scoring after a barnstorming run down the left from wing Onisi Ratave who bust tackles to break the line. When the ball was worked in field and right at pace it found the hands of back row Alessandro Izekor who powered past tacklers to score.
A penalty at scrum time gave the hosts another entry in at the midpoint of the half. The driving maul punched holes and this time wing Ratave crashed over. Umaga added the extras.
Dragons finally won some territory after some intelligent kicking from Rhodri Williams and Anderson, as the visitors looked to shift momentum.
David Richards made a strong midfield run to feed Westwood on his shoulder and secure a penalty that Tinus de Beer popped to the corner. The initial maul was rebuffed, but patience and power saw two forward drives go close before Burrows crashed over and De Beer converted.
Back, though, came Benetton as slick handling in the back line, after more forward power, opened up space for Fekitoa to score.
Dragons nearly scored a superb second as Anderon made a sublime break from deep to glide past several tacklers, but his offload failed to find Williams on his shoulder.
To rub salt in the wound the home side then scored a long-range stunner of their own as the backs kept the ball alive, Ratave sat down a man and Paolo Odogwu grabbed the bonus point.
Benetton, now playing with total freedom and pace, were offloading at every opportunity and free running sent Umaga over for a 34-7 lead on the stroke of half-time.
Dragons changed the front row at half-time, but an early chance was lost in the shadows of the home posts when Screech saw an offload fail to find hands.
Last gasp defending on his own line by Woodman held Benetton up, but pressure finally told again when Andy Uren picked out Louis Lynagh to stride over unopposed.
Benetton were playing fast and loose as they pulled men left and right before a cross field kick was finished off by Odogwu for his second.
Dragons landed a blow back as Dyer skipped down the line after an outrageous behind the back pass from Huw Anderson.
However, home dominance resumed as Umaga scored an intercept, after Dragons forced a pass in midfield, before Lynagh went over after a break out wide.
Lewis-Hughes scored a late effort, after a superb take and offload from Thomas Young, but it was Benetton and a brace from Leonardo Marin completed a record defeat in Europe.
Timeline:
04m Umaga p 3-0
15m Izekor t Umaga c 10-0
19m Ratave t Umaga c 17-0
30m Burrows t De Beer c 17-7
34m Fekitoa t 22-7
38m Odogwu t 27-7
40m Umaga t 34-7
52m Lynagh t 39-7
56m Odogwu t Umaga c 46-7
59m Dyer t De Beer c 46-14
65m Umaga t Umaga t 53-14
68m Lynagh t Umaga c 60-14
76m Marin t Umaga c 67-14
78m Lewis-Hughes t J. Lloyd c 67-21
80m Marin t Umaga c 74-21
Benetton Rugby: Matt Gallagher, Louis Lynagh, Paolo Odogwu, Malakai Fekitoa, Onisi Ratave, Jacob Umaga, Andy Uren; Mirco Spagnolo, Nicholas Gasperini, Simone Ferrari, Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Alessandro Izekor, Manuel Zuliani, Lorenzo Cannone
Replacements: Bautista Bernasconi, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Giosue Zilocchi, Scott Scrafton, Eli Snyman, Michele Lamaro, Alessandro Garbisi, Leonardo Marin
Dragons RFC: Huw Anderson, Ewan Rosser, David Richards, Joe Westwood (Owen 50), Rio Dyer, Tinus de Beer (J. Lloyd 65), Rhodri Williams (M. Lloyd 50); Rodrigo Martinez (Morris 40), Oli Burrows (Coghlan 40), Cebo Dlamini (Hunt 40), Levi Douglas (Langton-Cryer 57), Matthew Screech (Young 50), Ryan Woodman, Harry Beddall, Shane Lewis-Hughes
Replacements: Brodie Coghlan, Jordan Morris, Robert Hunt, Barny Langton-Cryer, Thomas Young, Morgan Lloyd, Jac Lloyd, Aneurin Owen
Referee: Benoit Rousselet (Fra)
Attendance: 3,754
