NEWPORT Gwent Dragons ended a two-year wait for a four-try bonus point in the Guinness Pro12 with a comprehensive win against Treviso at Rodney Parade.

While it wasn't the most fluent of successes, and there were more nervy moments than there should have been against the winless Italians, the region were good value for a first victory of the season.

Tries by wing Hallam Amos (2), centre Ashley Smith and scrum-half Jonathan Evans secured a five-point haul that lifts them above Cardiff Blues into eighth in the table.

While it would be unwise to go overboard after a success against a Treviso side that have been awful, the win should settle the nerves after a chastening start to the season.

The performance still left a lot to be desired – especially during in underwhelming second quarter – but on the whole it was a lot better.

The win has lifted weight off the Dragons' shoulders and should provide a confidence boost for much sterner tests on their travels to the Scarlets and Edinburgh before the Pro12 breaks for European competition.

There was more patience in attack, they made fewer errors, unsung centre Ashley Smith proved his value in defence and attack while hooker Elliot Dee and number eight Taulupe Faletau continued their super starts to the campaign.

It was job done in what was hardly the most appetising of clashes on Sunday at 4pm when the eyes of the sporting world were on Gleneagles.

The Dragons had gone more than two years since their last four-try bonus point, notched against Zebre on the opening weekend of 2012/13, but didn't have the luxury of heading into the game with thoughts of dishing out a drubbing.

If they had scraped home they probably would have been content after a start to the season that had seen them beaten by Connacht, the Ospreys and Glasgow.

Failure to beat Treviso would have prompted the mother of all inquests – the Italians went through the whole of last season without an away win and had already suffered a pair of drubbings on Welsh soil, 44-13 to the Ospreys and 43-0 to the Scarlets.

A host of their big stars left for the Aviva Premiership in the summer, leaving them to rebuild and battle with Zebre for 11th spot in the Pro12 and a place in the premier European competition (if they really do want to face the big guns).

But the Dragons were in control from the off and started with real attacking intent, keen to expose the visitors' defensive demons.

Fly-half Jason Tovey knocked over a penalty after centre Ashley Smith was influential on his return to the field after six months out.

However, it was the Dragons' defence that put them in command with wing Hallam Amos intercepting Treviso speedster Andrea Pratichetti's pass to race over from halfway.

Tovey knocked over the simple conversion and made a searing break to set up Amos for his second with the Wales international finished superbly down the left, dotting down while his body was over the touchline.

The extras were expertly added by the fly-half and at 17-0 the whole crowd let out a giant sigh of relief.

The only danger to the Dragons was complacency against their frankly woeful visitors but it took some desperate defence on their line to limit Treviso to three points on the half hour, Joe Carlisle knocking over a penalty when it looked like they were going to power over after getting a foothold in the 22.

The hosts seemed to have taken their foot off the gas when another score would break the Italians' spirit yet it remained 17-3 at the break.

But the try came swiftly after the resumption with the hosts getting into the Treviso 22 thanks to a blatent forward pass by Tovey to Rynard Landman and then, after several charges at the line, an overlap enabled Smith to canter over.

And the bonus was in the bag on 46 minutes when neat handling down the left wing by Amos, Landman and Lee Byrne gave scrum-half Jonathan Evans a run-in.

The Dragons blotted their copybook when they allowed Treviso to score the easiest of tries with half an hour left – number eight Matt Luamanu profiting from a slick lineout move from five metres out when the hosts were expecting the drive – and then flanker Andy Powell was yellow-carded for a dangerous 'tackle' on Simone Favaro when his opposite number was on a dummy run.

And a few nerves were creeping in when replacement back row forward Leo Auva'a powered over from a scrum – the Dragons had given Treviso a sniff at 27-15 entering the final quarter.

Thankfully the Italians shot themselves in the foot and were offside from a clearance kick immediately from the restart, allowing Tovey to make it 30-15 and he knocked over another penalty with the last kick.

Dragons: L Byrne (captain, A O'Brien 73)), T Prydie, B John, A Smith (A Brew 63), H Amos, J Tovey, J Evans (L Jones 73), B Stankovich (H Gustafson 53), E Dee (R Thomas 57), D Way (L Fairbrother 57), C Hill (J Thomas 47), R Landman, A Powell (L Evans 62), N Cudd, T Faletau.

Scorers: tries – H Amos (2), A Smith, J Evans; conversions – J Tovey (2); penalties – J Tovey (3)

Treviso: J Hayward, A Pratichetti, M Campagnaro, L Morisi (A Sgarbi 47, G Maistri 73), L Nitoglia, J Carlisle, J Ambrosini (E Gori 57), M Zanusso (M Muccignat 59), D Giazzon (A Kudin 75), R Harden, A Pavanello (captain), M Fuser, S Favaro (F Minto 59), M Lazzaroni, M Luamanu (L Auva'a 54).

Scorers: tries – M Luamanu, L Auva'a; conversion – J Carlisle; penalty – J Carlisle

Referee: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)

Attendance: 5,162

Argus star man: Elliot Dee