Dragons and Benetton battle out URC draw

United Rugby Championship

Dragons (7) 15

Tries: Douglas, Inisi Cons: O'Brien Pens: O'Brien

Benetton (10) 15

Tries: Ratave 2, Gallagher

Dragons captain Angus O'Brien missed a last-gasp conversion as his side and Benetton battled out a dramatic draw in the United Rugby Championship (URC) at Rodney Parade.

Dragons centre Fine Inisi scored an 80th minute try to draw things level with O'Brien's touchline conversion going wide.

Dragons lock Levi Douglas had scored an early try but was shown a 20-minute red card for a dangerous ruck clearout in the 32nd minute.

The hosts also spent 10 minutes with 13 men with Inisi also shown a first-half yellow card.

Fiji wings Onisi Ratave had starred for Benetton with two tries, while Italy full-back Matt Gallagher also crossed but fly-half Jacob Umaga missed three conversions.

This was a third league draw for Dragons this season in 12 games and a second time Benetton have finished all square with opponents.

Filo Tiatia's men failed were hunting a fifth straight victory at Rodney Parade for the first time since between December 2019 and February 2020

Dragons were also looking for redemption after enduring a 74-21 Challenge Cup hammering when the teams met at Stadio Monigo in January.

Dragons were without Wales internationals Aaron Wainwright and Ben Carter while Benetton were hit hard by the Six Nations with 14 players in the matchday squad for Italy's defeat by France in Lille but the Italians are able to call on players from other nations.

It was a first home league game for almost two months which was played in front of a crowd of 7,106, but the hosts were caught cold when Ratave crossed after a minute.

Dragons were forced into two early changes when Wales Under-20s number eight Evan Minto replaced the injured Shane Lewis-Hughes and Rhodri Williams came on for the in-form Che Hope.

They shook off this disruption as Douglas powered over, after some help from returning Wales prop Chris Coleman with O'Brien converting.

Tonga centre Malakai Fekitoa was shown a yellow card for a high dangerous tackle on Dragons wing David Richards.

Benetton were dominant in the scrum before wing Ratave produced a superb individual 70-metre effort as he caught the Dragons defence sleeping.

Douglas was initially shown a yellow card for an illegal ruck clearout, known as a croc roll, on Benetton prop Thomas Gallo.

The home side's handling errors continually let them down in attack, while the indiscipline also haunted them with Inisi sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on.

Douglas' yellow card was upgraded to a 20-minute red card at the start of the second half as Dragons started after half-time with 13 players.

Some fine handling and opportunism saw Gallagher react quickest to cross and it looked as if Benetton were in control.

Dragons were restored to 15 men with Wales wing Rio Dyer and replacement centre Fetuli Paea adding some attacking impetus.

The hosts looked to have reduced the deficit to a point with a penalty try given by referee Eoghan Cross and a yellow card shown to Benetton replacement lock Scott Scrafton.

The television match official (TMO) intervened with Dragons flanker Harry Beddall penalised for obstruction and Scrafton staying on the field.

The home line-out started to malfunction in the second half with replacement hooker Ollie Burrows struggling to find his jumpers.

An excellent covering tackle from replacement prop Owain James and two turnovers from centre Aneurin Owen repelled the Benetton attack.

The latter Owen intervention allowed O'Brien to reduce the deficit to five points with a successful penalty.

The Dragons captain missed a penalty kick to touch with the ball going dead but the home side did not give up.

They gained the reward when Inisi crossed in the final minute with honours remaining even as O'Brien's kick sailed wide.

Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia: "I'm very proud of the second half performance.

"I was proud of the first half too, but I thought we left a few points on the pitch.

"The character, grit, scrap and wanting to fight and stay in it, was excellent.

"We have been working on it, the mentality of wanting to protect something. You can see signs that they are a tight group."

Dragons: O'Brien (capt); Richards, Inisi, Owen, Dyer; De Beer, Hope; Martinez, Coghlan, Coleman, Douglas, S Davies, Woodman, Beddall, Lewis-Hughes.

Replacements: Burrows, Morris, James, Langton-Cryer, Minto, R Williams, Paea, C Evans.

Red card (20 minutes): Douglas 32

Sin-bin: Inisi 38

Benetton: Gallagher; Ratave, Odogwu, Fekitoa, Smith; Umaga, Uren (capt); Gallo, Bernasconi, Zilocchi, Marini, Snyman, Izekor, Kingi, Favretto.

Replacements: Gasperini, Aminu, Pasquali, Scrafton, Casartelli, Tizzano, Drago, Mendy.

Sin-bin: Fekitoa 15

Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)

Assistant referees: Adam Jones & Marcus Caudle (Wales)

TMO: Paul Haycock (Ireland).