European Rugby Challenge Cup: Bristol slip to late defeat at Zebre

Bristol had won all nine of their previous fixtures against Italian opposition.

A late penalty consigned Bristol to a narrow defeat at Zebre in the second round of European Challenge Cup games.

Tom Pincus scored his first Bears try to put them ahead before the hosts hit back with Carlo Canna's converted try.

Zebre went in front through Jimmy Tuivaiti's close-range score but Pincus' second try and Callum Sheedy's extras levelled the score at half-time.

The hosts' Luhandre Luus was sin-binned in the closing stages but Canna's late penalty gave Zebre victory.

The result gave the Italian side swift revenge after the Bears scored seven tries to beat them 43-22 at Ashton Gate in the Challenge Cup opener last weekend.

Bristol picked up a losing bonus-point and they still sit second in Pool 4 behind leaders La Rochelle.

Zebre: Brummer; Bellini, Bisegni (capt), Castello, Di Giulio; Canna, Violi; Lovotti, Fabiani, Christolini, Sisi, Biagi, Tuivaiti, Meyer, Giammarioli.

Replacements: Luus, Rimpelli, Zilocchi, Krumov, Tauyavuca, Palazzani, Boni, Balekana.

Bristol Bears: Pincus; Edwards, O'Conor, Bedlow, Leiua; Sheedy, Randall; Woolmore, Malton, Armstrong, Batley, Jeffries, Luatua (co-capt), Heenan, Crane (co-capt).

Replacements: Fenton-Wells, Y. Thomas, Afoa, Haining, Graham, Uren, Pisi, Powell.

Sin-bin: Luhandre Luus 75.

Referee: Ludovic Cayre

For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.