Dragons were the width of a post from a famous BKT United Rugby Championship opening day victory as a late Elliot Dee saw them claim a deserved 19-19 draw wth Benetton Rugby after a thrilling second half fightback in Italy.
The Men of Gwent had a mountain to climb at the break at Stadio Monigo despite a well worked first half score from Tinus de Beer.
But all that was to change in a stirring second half show that will give Head Coach Filo Tiatia plenty to build on as the season builds.
Fine Inisi finished off a scintillating move and, with it a one-score game on the hour, a try from Che Hope was chalked off by the TMO.
However, the visitors were not to be denied and Dee crashed over with two minutes remaining before De Beer saw his tricky conversion from out wide bounce back off the posts and away.
Two points secured and now the attention turns to home soil and the visit of Scarets to Rodney Parade.
New signing Anzelo Tuitavuki was handed a debut for the Round One fixture while lock Barny Langton-Cryer and Number Eight Evan Minto made first starts for the club in the URC.
However, Minto’s appearance was to last less than five minutes as he was forced off and replaced by Shane Lewis-Hughes.
A penalty at scrum time gave the Italians the first attacking platform and a kickable penalty that they opted to twice punch into the corner.
Dragons twice held driving lineouts at bay but at scrum time the hosts forced the advantage and centre Francois May took the long pass from Jacob Umaga to score the converted try.
Dragons looked to hit back as De Beer produced a sparkling run as he brushed off two tackles and cut through on hallway, with his kick ahead hurriedly mopped up by Umaga.
Benetton, though, went to the corner, after they broke out themselves and kept the ball alive to win a penalty, before the driving lineout was finished by Bautista Bernasconi.
Dragons hit back in some style as Tuitavuki showed enormous strength to hold the ball up and he fed it inside before Seb Davies on the angle and Thomas Young superbly combined to send De Beer over.
The impressive Young turned over ball on the floor as the visitors repelled Benetton once more while Anderson showed his bravery in defence and long boot to keep the home side pinned back.
Another penalty for offside saw De Beer go to the corner, but Benetton won ball in the shadow of their own posts as momentum shifted.
And a mistake off a lineout drill, two minutes before the break, gave the Italians a late attacking chance that Ignacio Mendy took as he went over in the corner.
Front row duo Elliot Dee and Robert Hunt were introduced at the break, and it was the visitors who scored a superb second as Dyer broke away and the ball was kept alive until Tuitavuki sent Inisi over.
The game was on a knife edge on the hour mark as Benetton held the territorial advantage but solid work from the imperious Young over the ball stopped attacks.
A searing break from deep saw the visiting backs slice the home side open as Anderson found himself out wide in space and the supporting Hope was the man to finish after a late tap tackle. But the TMO stepped in to rule the try out for a knock on against Anderson.
A long-range penalty from Umaga could have settled the game with seven minutes left, but his effort drifted wide left of the uprights.
A breathless final five minutes saw Dragons come strong and look to mount a famous late comeback as De Beer popped the ball into the corner after a succession of penalties.
The driving lineout was set and huge pressure saw men pile in and force the ball over, with Dee the man to get the ball down.
De Beer’s conversion, though, thumped the left upright from out wide as the visitors were forced to settle for a draw and two well-earned points in Italy.
Timeline:
11m May t Umaga c 7-0
24m Bernasconi t Umaga c 14-0
27m De Beer t De Beer c 14-7
39m Mendy t 19-7
44m Inisi t De Beer c 19-14
78m Dee t 19-19
Benetton Rugby: Matt Gallagher, Ignacio Mendy, Francois Mey, Paolo, Odogwu, Onisi Ratave, Jacob Umaga, Andy Uren; Matias Medrano, Bautista Bernasconi, Simone Ferrari, Mattia Midena, Federico Ruzza, Giulio Marini, Manuel Zuliani, Sebastian Negri
Replacements: Nicholas Gasperini, Ivan Nemer, Marcos Gallorini, Piero Gritti, Antony Miranda, Siua Maile, Louis Werchon, Jean Smith
Dragons RFC: Huw Anderson, Rio Dyer, Fine Inisi (Paea 57), Aneurin Owen, Anzelo Tuitavuki, Tinus de Beer, Rhodri Williams (Hope 53); Rodrigo Martinez (Jones 54), Oli Burrows (Dee 40), Chris Coleman (Hunt 40), Barny Langton-Cryer (Beddall 61), Seb Davies, Ryan Woodman, Thomas Young, Evan Minto (Lewis-Hughes 5)
Replacements: Elliot Dee, Wyn Jones, Robert Hunt, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Harry Beddall, Che Hope, Jac Lloyd, Fetuli Paea
Referee: Christopher Allison (SA)
