The Dragons appeared to have the game in the bag when Richard Mustoe clinched the bonus point fourth try inside two minutes of the second half.
But the Italian champions produced a rousing response, taking the lead through Marius Goosen before Ceri Sweeney finally sealed the Dragons’ win seven minutes from time.
Treviso lost experienced prop Salvatore Costanzo inside six minutes to a leg injury and found themselves three points behind a minute later following Sweeney’s opening penalty in front of the posts.
Marius Goosen twice levelled the scores following Sweeney’s second but it was a loose kick that opened the doors for the Dragons’ first try. Kevin Morgan scooped up possession midway in Treviso’s half and beat two men before Paul Emerick sent captain Colin Charvis over on 18 minutes. Sweeney added the conversion.
Just two minutes later and the Welsh region were in for a second, this time through prop Rhys Thomas after Morgan’s cross-field kick found Luke Charteris in space before his basketball pass set the prop on his way. Sweeney’s conversion was wide but the Dragons led 18-6 until the 33rd minute when Rhodri Gomer-Davies extended it further.
Newport pressed left and right before American Paul Emerick was held up inches short of the line and Gomer-Davies followed up, picking up and diving over for a try.
It was not until the first-half injury time that the home crowd had something to cheer when prop Nicolas De Gregory steaming over to hand Treviso a lifeline on the stroke of half-time.
That looked to have cut short within second of the second half when Richard Mustoe scorched through inside two minutes. The wing darted onto Sweeney’s inside pass and galloped in from 40 yards out to secure a bonus point and Sweeney’s conversion put Newport 32-13 ahead.
But Treviso launched a stunning comeback and captain Goosen was at the heart of it. Dragons prop Thomas was shown the yellow card on 45 minutes for his team’s persistent infringements and five minutes later Argentine wing Lucas Borges raced onto Robert Barbieri’s pass to score.
Sweeney missed the chance to steady the ship when his penalty drifted wide and Treviso capitalised when Alberto Sgarbi who beat Mustoe with ease to score with ease for their third and Goosen added the conversion as well as a further two long-range penalties to put the home side 33-32 ahead 15 minutes from time.
But the Dragons switched back on and Sweeney’s late drop goal was enough to secure all five points.
target=_blank>Click Here for a Statistical Match Report from the Benetton Treviso v Newport Gwent Dragons match
