Tinus de Beer hit the post with an 80th-minute conversion as Dragons kicked off the United Rugby Championship season with a draw at Benetton. Filo Tiatia's side shared the spoils four times in 2025-26 and it was a familiar story at the start of the new campaign after a spirited showing in Treviso.

Centre Francois Mey, hooker Bautista Bernasconi and wing Ignacio Mendy crossed to give Benetton, in their first game under former Wales boss Wayne Pivac, a 19-7 lead at half-time. De Beer got Dragons' try in the first half, and a super effort by Tonga centre Fine Inisi cut the gap soon after the restart.

Wales hooker Elliot Dee went over to give De Beer a shot at the lead, only for his tricky kick from the right to hit the left post and bounce out. It could have been a spirited victory, but in the end they settled for two points.

Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia said: "The mentality for the boys to say in the fight was good. We fought hard, we defended well and we took our chances. We have just got to be a little but more clinical."