United Rugby Championship: Dragons 47-7 Zebre

Dragons collected their second bonus-point home win inside seven days under new coach Dai Flanagan as they crushed URC bottom side Zebre 47-7.

Rhodri Williams and David Richards crossed for first-half tries with Steff Hughes, Angus O'Brien and Richards again adding second-half touchdowns.

Sam Davies kicked 22 points as the Dragons cruised to a third win in seven games, beating their 2021/22 tally.

Andrea Zambonin crossed for the Parma side.

Dragons lost five players to international calls compared to Zebre's six as they followed up a rousing win over Ospreys with a far more comfortable outing, capped by Davies's 100 per cent strike rate with the boot.

The home side looked confident with ball in hand to register two first-half tries, the first after eight minutes as Williams ran a fine inside angle to score from 35 metres after Aki Seuli and Ross Moriarty led a charge down the left.

Moriarty had a close-range touchdown ruled out but Williams claimed an assist after 27 minutes when he booted a loose Zebre pass downfield for wing Richards, making his first start, to win the race.

Davies converted both and landed four penalties before the break as captain Harrison Keddie opted to take all the goal kicks on offer.

Zebre scored in their first spell of pressure after 33 minutes, as lock Zambonin went over following a snipe on the 22 by ex-Bath scrum-half Chris Cook, with another West Countryman, fly-half Tiff Eden, adding the simple extras.

But Dragons' 26-7 interval advantage looked decisive and they soon extended it as Aaron Wainwright, like Moriarty out to re-assert his international credentials, made a clean break to give centre Hughes a run-in.

O'Brien's try on 57 minutes earned the bonus point as he was put through by wing Jared Rosser's break down the middle, allowing the home side a rare chance to enjoy themselves in the final quarter.

Player of the match Richards, usually a full-back, produced a brilliant corner finish for his second after 65 minutes although he took a knock and was forced off as he was tackled into an advertising board.

Zebre gamely prevented further damage but Dragons could reflect on a fine end to the first block of league fixtures, after Flanagan assumed playing control from departing director of rugby Dean Ryan following a heavy opening defeat in Edinburgh.

Like the other Welsh sides, the Dragons have three weekends without fixtures before two games in South Africa- facing the Lions and Stormers.

Dragons fly-half Sam Davies told BBC Sport Wales:

"It was massive that we got the win in this first block of games and it was the right decision to kick the penalties in the first half, giving us time to go for the four tries so credit to Keds (captain Keddie) because we got our rewards.

"Both David's tries were really good and he played well around the park as well, it's good that boys are stepping up.

"It's probably the first time since I've been here, three years, that we've been able to relax in the final quarter though we could have been more clinical and we're still looking for ways we can get better.

"Dai Flanagan has brought a bit more freedom, he's come in and he's got his attacking philosophy going, he understands what this group needs. He's getting the most out of us and you'll see this group play some good rugby, but in the right areas of the field, and the set-piece is streets ahead of last year."

Head coach Dai Flanagan said:

"It's a good reward for the effort this group have put in over the last six to eight weeks, they've been outstanding to work with. It's my most exciting time of the year, having experienced it at the Scarlets, when you lose internationals but you give the younger boys an opportunity and there's a lot of learning.

"It's been car crash after car crash from a (personal) experience point of view (in charge), I'm learning all the time and I'll make sure I get advice from people I trust.

"The way we're playing, we want to play fast and it should suit us out in South Africa because we've got good athletes and smart rugby players so the challenge is to get stuck into the South African teams."

Dragons: Angus O'Brien; David Richards, Steff Hughes, Max Clark, Jared Rosser; Sam Davies, Rhodri Williams; Aki Seiuli, Elliot Dee, Lloyd Fairbrother, Joe Davies, Sean Lonsdale, Aaron Wainwright, Harrison Keddie (capt), Ross Moriarty.

Replacements: James Benjamin, Rob Evans, Chris Coleman, Huw Taylor, Ben Fry, Gonzalo Bertranou, JJ Hanrahan, Aneurin Owen.

Zebre: Richard Kriel; Latu Latunipulu, Tommaso Boni, Damiano Mazza, Jacopo Trulla; Tiff Eden, Chris Cook; Juan Pitinari, Jacques Du Toit (capt), Matteo Nocera, Andrea Zambonin, Leonard Krumov, Davide Ruggeri, Iacopo Bianchi, Taina Fox-Matamua.

Replacements: Marco Manfredi, Alessio Sanavia, Muhamed Hasa, Jan Uys, Giacomo Ferrari, Ratko Jelic, Geronimo Prisciantelli, Lorenzo Pani.

Referee: Ben Blain (SRU)

Assistant referees: Gareth Newman & Gwyn Morris (WRU)

TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)