But the 36-25 victory was tinged with a degree of sadness s new recruit Gareth Anscombe lasted only 40 minutes in his preferred position of outside half. The 23-year-old former New Zealand Under 20 star picked up a thigh injury after 18 minutes and didn’t re-emerge for the second half.
Benetton Treviso arrived still seeking their first win of the season after 10 games, but gave a good account of themselves. They led 13-12 at the break, hit back to within four points with 12 minutes to go and never stopped hunting for another try.
Outside half Joe Carlisle scored all his side’s first-half points with two penalties and a kick and chase try which he also converted. The Blues scored two of their five tries in the first-half, through scrum half Lloyd Williams and new Argentine full back Joaquin Tuculet, one of which Anscombe converted.
After the break the bonus point was rattled up when Richard Smith went over on the overlap and then hooker Kristian Dacey bulldozed his way through. Gareth Davies, who replaced Anscombe at half-time converted both and kicked a penalty to stretch the home lead to 16 points.
But Benetton Treviso hit back with a brace of tries from replacement flanker Francesco Minto in the space of seven minutes and with one Carlisle conversion the Italians’ were back in the game at 29-25.
A fifth try from Rory Watts-Jones for the home side, shortly after Treviso hooker Davide Giazzon had been sent to the sin-bin, made the game sage and Davies added the conversion for good measure.
