Treviso edge a thriller

Benetton Treviso beat Newport Gwent Dragons for the first time at Rodney Parade since 2007 after a thrilling second-half fightback.

Treviso tries from flanker Alessandro Zanni, full-back Luke McLean, outside-half Kris Burton and centre Alberto Sgarbi, plus 13 points from Burton earned the visitors five points.

The Dragons claimed two bonus points, with wing Aled Brew getting two tries and others coming from number eight Toby Faletau and centre Adam Hughes.

Hughes and stand-off Lewis Robling shared the kicking points.

The Dragons started fast as Robling landed the first of his two opening-period penalties from 48 metres before Burton replied in kind soon after.

A neat move inside the Treviso 22 saw Wales wing Brew go over for the first of his touchdowns after he was given a pass 10 metres from the line by Hughes.

But, much to the delight of former Newport full-back Franco Smith, now coach of Treviso, the Italians made the Dragons pay for mistakes in defence.

And it was a well-executed move down the left from halfway that gave Treviso their opening try as, from a turnover, the ball went through a couple of pairs of hands before wing Brendan Williams dashed down the touchline and, 10 metres from the line, threw a pass to supporting flanker Alessandro Zanni to go over.

Burton missed the conversion but put Treviso into the lead for the first time moments later from 25 metres with a penalty.

Loose pass

Robling added his second shot before Brew made Sgarbi pay for a loose pass just inside the home half by intercepting and racing 52 metres to the line.

But with firts-half time expired, Treviso hit the home team with a sucker punch as Burton, Zanni and centre Tommaso Iannone combined to put McLean over for a try in the corner which Burton converted to level the score.

The hosts were ahead again after 50 minutes when Dan Lydiate ran left to put centre Ashley Smith away. He passed out to Faletau who danced past an attempted tackle to go over unopposed.

Burton charged down an attempted Robling clearance to run 40 metres and score. His conversion hit the post but he put Treviso back in front with a drop goal after 67 minutes when home flanker Lewis Evans was sin-binned for killing a ruck.

Treviso suffered their own disciplinary problems as both prop Michele Rizzo and replacement Fabio Semenzato were binned.

By then, though, Sgarbi had intercepted replacement half-back Jason Tovey's woeful pass on halfway for the bonus-point try that Burton crucially converted.

It put Treviso eight points clear and, despite Hughes getting a breakaway try that he converted with two minutes left, Treviso hung on.