United Rugby Championship: Six-try Scarlets beat Zebre 41-24 in Parma
- Published
URC highlights: Zebre 41-24 Scarlets
URC: Zebre v Scarlets |
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Zebre (3) 24 |
Tries: Canna, Biondelli, D'Onofrio Cons: Biondelli, Canna, Rizzi Pen: Canna |
Scarlets (24) 41 |
Tries: Baldwin, Conbeer, McNicholl, Lousi, Lezana, Tuipulotu Cons: Patchell 3, Costelow Pen: Patchell |
Scarlets earned a measure of revenge for Welsh rugby in Italy with a bonus-point triumph over winless United Rugby Championship rivals Zebre.
Corey Baldwin, Ryan Conbeer and Johnny McNicholl scored first-half tries with Zebre's points coming from Carlo Canna.
Sam Lousi, Zebre's Canna, Michelangelo Biondelli and Scarlets' Tomas Lezana and Carwyn Tuipulotu also went over.
Giovanni D'Onofrio added Zebre's third, but there was to be no repeat of Italy's Six Nations heroics in Cardiff.
Instead, after glorying in the Azzurri's efforts against Wales, Italy's rugby chiefs were offered a reminder of the status of their domestic game as Scarlets earned a rare away win in the Parma sunshine.
Fly-half Rhys Patchell added a penalty to his three conversions as the visitors led 24-3 at the break.
Wales pair Gareth Davies and McNicholl returned amid six Scarlets changes to the side beaten 57-12 by Bulls in South Africa last weekend.
Joe Roberts made his first start at centre and there were recalls for wing Baldwin and number eight Sione Kalamafoni while Shaun Evans - whose previous four starts this season have been as a flanker - began at hooker.
Scarlets' Johnny McNicholl is tackled by Giovanni D'Onofrio
Evans joined Kemsley Mathias and Javan Sebastian in the front-row and was replaced late on by debut-making, 18-year-old academy hooker Lewis Morgan.
Scrum-half Davies and McNicholl both started Wales' Six Nations defeat against Italy while Zebre included three players who recorded their first ever win away over Wales in Cardiff, scrum-half Alessandro Fusco, hooker Luca Bigi and captain David Sisi.
But there was to be no fairytale for that trio in Parma, with Zebre still without a win in this competitions since beating Dragons in February 2021.
Baldwin and Conbeer exploited their pace to score the opening tries after Canna's early penalty.
McNicholl's outstretched arm ensured his score and Lousi's unopposed stroll was also reward for good build-up work by the visitors.
However, soft defence allowed Canna to plough his way to the line before Biondelli went over out wide while replacement Tuipulotu also barged over.
Lezana took the direct route to reclaim the initiative with Scarlets' sixth and final try while D'Onofrio was on the end of a slick home attack.
But the hosts were unable to muster a four-try bonus point.
Zebre: Michelangelo Biondelli; Giovanni D'Onofrio, Giulio Bisegni, Enrico Lucchin, Simone Gesi; Carlo Canna, Alessandro Fusco; Paolo Buonfiglio, Luca Bigi, Eduardo Bello, David Sisi (capt), Liam Mitchell, Luca Andreani, Iacopo Bianchi, Renato Giammarioli
Replacements: Massimo Ceciliani, Juan Pitinari, Ion Neculai, Andrea Zambonin, Potu Junior Leavasa, Guglielmo Palazzani, Antonio Rizzi, Junior Laloifi
Scarlets: Johnny McNicholl; Corey Baldwin, Joe Roberts, Scott Williams (capt), Ryan Conbeer; Rhys Patchell, Gareth Davies; Kemsley Mathias, Shaun Evans, Javan Sebastian, Sam Lousi, Jac Price, Blade Thomson, Tomas Lezana, Sione Kalamafoni.
Replacements: Lewis Morgan, Rob Evans, Harri O'Connor, Morgan Jones, Carwyn Tuipulotu, Dane Blacker, Sam Costelow, Johnny Williams.
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
Assistants: Clara Munarini & Riccardo Angelucci (FIR)
TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)