Benetton Treviso produced a heroic defensive effort to claim their first GUINNESS PRO12 win in almost a year.

The Italian side welcomed Cardiff Blues to the Stadio Monigo on a run of 20 straight league defeats – stretching back to 20 February 2015, when they beat the Blues at the same venue.

Cardiff, who arrived in Italy in search of a fifth consecutive GUINNESS PRO12 win for the first time since 2010, were a point to the good at half time after Blaine Scully crossed over.

However, a penalty try early in the second half and a stubborn defensive display for much of the final 20 minutes secured a hard-fought 13-7 triumph.

The hosts began on the front foot, Jayden Hayward kicking in behind the Blues defence before a try-saving tackle from Dan Fish kept the scores level.

That parity was broken after nine minutes, however, when the Welshmen were caught offside and Hayward slotted the resulting penalty between the posts.

The Blues found their way into Treviso territory at last but a pair of knock-ons halted their progress, the latter after good work from Manoa Vosawai and Kristian Dacey.

Cardiff continued to struggle with their continuity and a penalty for crossing allowed Hayward to clear his lines, before Fish picked off a Luca Morisi pass after the Italy centre picked a gap and made some promising ground.

A frustrating start got worse for the Blues when they were caught offside after 22 minutes and Hayward doubled the lead, but that was immediately followed by Cardiff’s best spell yet.

Rhys Patchell sent a penalty to the corner and their forwards rumbled towards the line from the resulting lineout, Cory Allen and Rey Lee-Lo both denied agonisingly when darting for the line.

Treviso held firm but when they returned to Blues territory, Lee-Lo was in the thick of it again, a big tackle and turnover in quick succession turning the momentum back in his side’s favour.

And it proved decisive as Scully capitalised on an overlap to dive in and score five minutes before half-time, Patchell converting for a 7-6 lead.

Treviso were first to threaten after the break and after the Blues were adjudged to have pulled down the scrum on their own five-metre line, referee Dudley Phillips awarded a penalty try, Hayward converting.

Cardiff failed to convert a five-metre lineout minutes later before a TMO consolation and an overturned penalty at the breakdown denied Patchell a pop at the posts.

Vosawai got his hands on the ball 15 minutes from time and piled towards the line, after a superb Ethan Lewis break, but he was held up before a string of Blues scrums ramped up the pressure.

Once again Treviso scrambled clear, only for another wave of attack to return to their 22 but there was simply no way through for the Blues.

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