United Rugby Championship: Four-try Benetton get the better of the Dragons

Planet Rugby

Benetton moved into fourth position on the United Rugby Championship standings after securing a deserved 34-14 victory over the Dragons in Treviso on Sunday.

The result sees the Italian outfit to climb into fourth place on the United Rugby Championship table and they were full value for their win as they outscored their Welsh visitors by four tries to two.

Giacomo Nicotera, Lorenzo Cannone, Edoardo Padovani and Mattia Bellini scored Benetton’s tries, while Tomas Albornoz maintained his 100 per cent goal-kicking record this season by slotting four conversions and two penalties.

For the Dragons, Rio Dyer and Steff Hughes scored second-half tries while JJ Hanrahan and Sam Savies succeeded with a conversion apiece.

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The defeats means the Dragons remain in 13th position in the United Rugby Championship standings and have not won in Treviso since 2015.

Benetton dominated from the early moments with their scrum and maul putting Dragons under severe pressure.

Albornoz dispatched an eighth-minute penalty and Benetton’s confidence was quickly reflected by their desire to go for the corner rather than take another easy three points.

Dragons could not stop a driving line-out and hooker Nicotera crashed over, with Argentinian fly-half Albornoz converting for a 10-point lead inside 13 minutes.

Benetton extended their lead after 20 minutes with a flowing move that went from left to right as the Dragons’ defence ran out of numbers.

Marcus Watson was held up in one corner before the ball was recycled, and Padovani’s floated pass saw Cannone stroll over. The flawless Albornoz added the extras again.

Dragons improved slightly before the break and winger Dyer hacked on spilled ball in the Benetton midfield.

Dyer was impeded as he scented a breakaway try, but the offence went unnoticed by referee Sam Grove-White and Benetton cleared the danger.

Dragons turned down the chance of three points before half-time, but the Welsh region did get on the scoreboard after 46 minutes. Jack Dixon and Max Clark combined well and Dyer squeezed over in the corner, with JJ Hanrahan converting.

Kept the scoreboard ticking

Albornoz’s second penalty extended Benetton’s lead and the hosts were fortunate to escape when Jared Rosser was pulled down close to the home line.

Benetton regathered their composure and Albornoz made an incisive dummy break before setting up Padovani to go under the posts for another converted score.

Hughes then scythed through the home defence, and Sam Davies converted to break the 500-point barrier for the Dragons.

But Benetton responded with a superb try 10 minutes from time that secured a bonus point, replacement Bellini profiting at the end of a sweeping move.

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