United Rugby Championship: Dragons 13-13 Benetton

Wales hooker Elliot Dee was shown a late red card as Dragons drew with Benetton in the United Rugby Championship at Rodney Parade.

Dee was sent off for a shoulder to the head of Joaquin Riera, with Tommaso Albornoz missing a late penalty to win the game for the Italians.

Benetton scored a try through hooker Corniel Els and eight points from Albornoz.

Dragons captain Ross Moriarty scored a try and Sam Davies added eight points.

Wales coach Wayne Pivac will be happy Moriarty made his first appearance in three months, with the back row playing 68 minutes after being released to prove his fitness ahead of the Six Nations.

The draw ended a run of seven defeats for Dean Ryan's men, but in truth, it was another dire display from the Gwent region against a Benetton side shorn of 23 players including their Italian internationals.

Dragons, who were also missing Wales squad members Taine Basham, Aaron Wainwright, Ben Carter, Will Rowlands and Leon Brown, have managed only one victory in 11 games this season and have not won at home since April 2021.

The sides met for a second time this month after Dragons were beaten 23-9 in Benetton in the European Challenge Cup.

There was no final farewell for centre Jamie Roberts, who will leave the Dragons at the end of January to join Australian side Waratahs but was not involved here.

Tommaso Benvenuti and Lorenzo Cannone were the only Benetton survivors from the side defeated by Lyon last weekend.

A dull opening quarter was dominated by aimless kicking and yielded only an Albornoz penalty for Benetton.

The visitors scored the first try through a driving maul from hooker Els which Albornoz converted.

Dragons were dreadful in the first half, with their poor performance littered with handling mistakes and a game-plan lacking any clarity or direction.

The hosts at least managed a Davies penalty but were fortunate to only trail by seven points as Benetton wasted a couple of try-scoring chances.

Moriarty lifted himself above the mediocrity early in the second half with a powerful charge over Benetton's line which Davies converted to level the scores.

Albornoz restored the lead with a second penalty before Dragons were boosted by the introduction of Wales pair Dee and Rhodri Williams from the replacements' bench.

Davies again ensured it was all square with a penalty before full-back Josh Lewis spilled possession with the try line at his mercy.

A frantic finale followed with Dee's red card - which came after he attempted a clear-out at a ruck - and Albornoz's missed penalty, which left nobody celebrating at the final whistle.

Dragons director of rugby Dean Ryan: "Looking at the overall game, it says where we are.

"We lacked a bit of confidence because we created a load of opportunities and should have taken two or three of them, then when we don't we get caught in the headlights.

"The last two minutes showed a side that has not got clarity of what it wants to do, trying to win a game from their own line.

"We should have put the game away around 50 or 60 minutes with the opportunities that we had. We weren't good enough and we didn't control the ball through our own mistakes.

"It was a red card. Quite simple. There was contact with the head and everybody knows now that is a red card and I would have had no issues if he had put that penalty over."

Dragons: Lewis; Holmes, Warren, Owen, Olowofela; S Davies, Bertranou; Seiuli, T Davies, Coleman, J Davies, Maksymiw, Keddie, Griffiths, Moriarty (capt)

Replacements: Dee, Reynolds, Doge, Taylor, Baker, Williams, Rosser, I Davies.

Benetton: Da Re; Pani, Drago, Riera, Benvenuti; Albornoz, Duvenage (capt); Gallo, Els, Tetaz, Herbst, Wegner, Meggiato, Lazzaroni, Cannone.

Replacements: Faiva, Traore, Alongi, Piantella, Steyn, Garbisi, Bell, Tavuyara.

Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)

Assistant referees: Jason Bessant (WRU) John Darcy (WRU)

TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)

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