THE Dragons’ search for a Guinness PRO14 win will go on to Ebbw Vale after they endured a nightmare 18-15 loss to Benetton at Rodney Parade.

They scored three tries through wing Jared Rosser and hooker Liam Belcher (2) but made a glut of errors to fall victim to the Italian side, who triumphed for a fifth successive league game.

Bernard Jackman’s side could, perhaps should, have won the game comfortably only to be hindered by inaccuracy and daft rugby.

Their sloppiness was encapsulated by the display of former Springboks full-back Zane Kirchner, who mixed the nice with the downright awful.

Head coach Bernard Jackman called the experienced international his “Swiss army knife” on Thursday such is his ability to play across the back line but the Dragons could have done with a proper tool for the job of fly-half.

A leg injury meant that Gavin Henson was not in the matchday squad but the former Wales playmaker should be back for Friday’s clash with Edinburgh at Eugene Cross Park and must surely be favourite to wear 10 on his back.

The Dragons will head north still hunting a first league success since they beat the Kings at Rodney Parade in September.

It was always going to be a transitional season as Jackman got to grips with life at Rodney Parade but the lack of wins is a huge worry.

While Benetton, Edinburgh and Zebre have made strides, the Dragons have carried on from their woeful second half of last season and only the hapless Kings are worse than them.

The region, who previously had the mitigation of a lengthy injury list, headed into this game on the back of wins in Newport against Bordeaux-Begles and Worcester plus a creditable draw against Glasgow.

However, they didn’t look like a side that are confident on home soil despite making a flying start against Benetton.

The Italians were late arriving after being the latest victims of Newport traffic chaos so opted not to head back to their changing room before kick-off.

Their preparations were disrupted and Benetton stalled on the start line with the Dragons taking just 64 seconds to cross.

A clearance kick was claimed well by Rio Dyer and the speedster burst into the 22 before the other young winger, Jared Rosser, was the beneficiary of a well-judged grubber by Kirchner.

Lock Rynard Landman was close to adding a second only to lose the ball stretching for the line but the South African played a key role in ensuring the Italians were soon back under their sticks, claiming a lineout that was driven over for a try by hooker Liam Belcher.

Kirchner was wide from the tee again but the Dragons were well on top and it looked like it could be a surprisingly routine afternoon… only for the hosts to gift their guests a way back in.

Former Springbok Kirchner showed none of his vast experience when he dawdled with a clearance kick and was charged down by flanker Alberton Sgarbi, who gathered for a try that full-back Ian McKinley converted.

A 10-0 advantage swiftly turned into a 12-10 deficit when a driving lineout worked to within a yard and then the ball was shifted left for unmarked wing Monty Ioane to claim a simple score.

McKinley pulled the conversion and then pushed a penalty, meaning that the Dragons’ punishment for sloppiness wasn’t as severe as it might have been.

They were close to getting back in front when Landman galloped clear only for his inside option to be cut off and Belcher to be too far behind on the left flank.

He didn’t force the pass and then full-back Hallam Amos was held up over the line, but the Dragons soon struck with a third try to ensure they went into half-time in front.

A scrum penalty was kicked to the corner and Belcher scored a repeat driving lineout, this time wide on the right rather than the left.

Kirchner’s kicking struggles continued and it was 15-12 at half-time, and anybody’s game.

The Dragons missed a chance to stretch away when their fly-half’s woes continued with a penalty to the corner that was kicked dead.

It wasn’t Kirchner’s day with a 52nd minute pass for a Rosser ‘try’ adjudged to have been forward as the hosts just couldn’t shake off the Italians.

The frustration was growing, even more so when Landman was pinged by his compatriot Quinton Immelman with fly-half Marty Banks, who kicked the Highlanders to a win against the Lions last summer, punishing the offence with three points to make it 15-15 after 56 minutes.

Kirchner had the chance to level after 69 minutes with a long-range penalty but he pushed it and began to cut a frustrated figure.

That frustration was shared on the terraces as the game drifted away before Mr Immelman put everyone that wasn’t of an Italian persuasion out of their misery with the final whistle.

Dragons: H Amos, J Rosser, A Warren (C Edwards 28), J Dixon (A Robson 71), R Dyer, Z Kirchner, D Babos (S Pretorius 49), S Hobbs (G Ellis 49), L Belcher, L Fairbrother (L Brown 49), J Davies, R Landman, L Evans (L Greggains 71-73), A Wainwright, H Keddie (captain).

Scorers: tries – J Rosser, L Belcher (2) Benetton: I McKinley (M Zanon 66), L Sperandio, T Iannone, L Morisi, M Ioane, M Banks, T Tebaldi (G Bronzini 66), M Zanusso, T Baravelle (H Faiva 40), T Pasquali (F Zani 40, C Traore 43), M Lazzaroni (M Fuser 49), I Hebst (F Minto 63), A Sgarbi (captain), M Barbini, W Douglas.

Scorers: tries – A Sgarbi, M Ioane; conversion – I McKinley; penalties – M Banks

Referee: Quinton Immelman (South Africa)

Attendance: 3,779

Argus star man: Liam Belcher