The Dragons drew their opening match of the United Rugby Championship season against Benetton in a thrilling encounter at the Stadio Monigo in Treviso. The game ended in a 19-19 deadlock after Tinus de Beer's conversion attempt in the 80th minute hit the post and bounced out. Benetton, playing their first match under former Wales coach Wayne Pivac, dominated the first half with tries from centre Francois Mey, hooker Bautista Bernasconi, and wing Ignacio Mendy, building a 19-7 lead. The Dragons fought back with tries from de Beer in the first half and Fine Inisi shortly after halftime, but were unable to secure the win. The Dragons showed resilience despite finishing 15th in the previous season. Scrum-half Che Hope had a try disallowed with 15 minutes left, but Wales hooker Elliot Dee crossed the line, giving de Beer a chance to take the lead. His conversion attempt from the right side hit the left post, and the match remained tied. Although the Dragons displayed tenacity to stay in the contest, they viewed the result as a missed opportunity. They now face five consecutive games in Wales, which they hope will help them build momentum. Benetton's pack was strong in the first half, applying pressure and scoring tries through Mey on his debut and Bernasconi's second try from a driving line-out. The Dragons responded with a well-executed try by de Beer, supported by lock Seb Davies and flanker Thomas Young. However, handling and defensive errors allowed Benetton to extend their lead through Mendy. In the second half, the Dragons improved their offloads and scored through Inisi, but the gap remained at five points as the game entered its final quarter. With 15 minutes remaining, a television match official (TMO) review found a knock-on by Huw Anderson before he put Hope over the line. Jacob Umaga missed a long-range penalty in the 74th minute, but the Dragons responded with Dee's try from a driving line-out. In the final moments, Wales wing Rio Dyer chose to kick the ball out rather than attempt a winning play. The Dragons now look ahead to five fixtures in Wales, including back-to-back URC derbies against Scarlets and Ospreys in Newport. The match was officiated by South African referee Christopher Allison, with Italian assistant referees Alex Frasson and Dario Merli, and South African TMO Marius Jonker.