It finished all square in Belfast on Friday night, but it was the Italians who left Ravenhill as the victors and Glasgow Warriors who were the main beneficiaries as long term PRO12 leaders, Ulster were knocked off their perch at the top.
The Scottish side secured five match points in their 29-13 home win over Cardiff Blues and that was enough to move them ahead of Ulster on points difference.
The Irish Province managed to squander a 20-10 interval lead to trail 24-23 going into the last 10 minutes.
But when they got their noses in front again at 29-23 with two Paddy Jackson penalties – his seven from nine kicks giving him a personal return of 19 points as he was handed back the kicking duties – Ulster failed to secure ball from the restart and New Zealander, Dean Budd went over in the corner with the final play of the game. The conversion was missed to leave it 29-29.
However, that was Budd’s hat-trick for the evening and added to his backrow partner, Robert Barbieri’s first half effort it meant three match points for the travelling Italians who have now not lost in Belfast in two outings.
ULSTER: Andrew; Trimble, Cave, Olding, Allen; Jackson, Pienaar; Afoa, Herring, Fitzpatrick, Stevenson, Tuohy, Henderson, McComish, Diack.
Replacements: Brady, Black (Fitzpatrick 55), Lutton, McComb (Tuohy 72), Birch, Marshall (Andrew 67), O’Connor (Pienaar 72), Cochrane (Cave 25).
TREVISO: Williams; Nitoglia, Morisi, La Grange, Toniolatti; Di Bernardo, Semenzato; De Marchi, Sbaraglini, Cittadini, Bernabo, Van Zyl (capt), Barbieri, Budd, Loamanu.
Replacements (all used): Maistri, Muccignat, Roux, Fuser, Filippucci, Derbyshire, Ambrosini, Iannone.
Ref: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)
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