European Challenge Cup: Zebre 20-17 Dragons - Visitors throw away early lead in Italy
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Cai Evans kicked 12 points but missed two vital second-half kicks
European Challenge Cup: Zebre v Dragons |
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Zebre (8) 20 |
Tries: Gesi 2, Bianchi Con: Montemauri Pen: Montemauri |
Dragons (12) 17 |
Try: J Rosser Pens: Evans 4 |
Dragons missed the chance to seal their Challenge Cup knockout place after throwing away an early lead at Zebre.
Cai Evans kicked four early penalties but was off target twice in the second half as Dragons fell just short.
Jared Rosser produced a smart finish but it was not enough to deny Zebre after wing Simone Gesi scored twice, either side of flanker Iacopo Bianchi.
Dragons slipped to fourth in Pool One and face Sharks at Rodney Parade next Sunday for a place in the next round.
Head coach Dai Flanagan will be frustrated not to have wrapped up their place in the knockout stages for a second year in a row in Parma before facing the pool leaders from South Africa.
He made three changes from the side that defeated Scarlets with props Rhodri Jones and Luke Yendle starting and wing Rio Dyer back from injury.
And they looked like a team full of confidence as they delivered an ideal early display away from home at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.
The forwards, marshalled by Wales pair Dan Lydiate and Aaron Wainwright, dominated possession and their no-risk policy paid dividends as Evans kicked them into a 12-0 lead inside 20 minutes.
That forced Zebre's hand and their decision to kick a penalty to the corner paid off as Gesi was handed an easy finish on the left wing.
Dragons scrum-half Rhodri Williams impressed both with and without the ball and showed his strength to deny hooker Marco Manfredi a score.
But Dragons were put on their heels when they conceded 15 points in a 16-minute spell either side of half-time.
Montemauri kicked a penalty before Zebre took the lead for the first time early in the second half when flanker Bianchi finished a driving line-out.
Missed tackles then hurt Dragons as first Dyer missed Enrico Lucchin before both Williams and Evans failed to keep out Gessi for his second of the match.
Flanagan rang the changes to stem the tide, switching his entire front row in one sweep as well as scrum-half Dane Blacker and it brought almost an immediate response.
Jared Rosser scored an impressive first try of the season
Dragons' pack got to within five metres of the try line and Blacker's cross-field kick lured Zebre's defence out of position.
Wing Pierre Bruno missed the ball with a rash jump, Rosser juggled possession, tip-toed along the touchline and rode a tackle to score the Dragons' only try.
However, Evans missed the conversion, having also missed a relatively easy kick from in front of the posts as Dragons fell short.
Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan said: "We controlled the game well in the first half and executed the game plan perfectly. It should have been game over by half-time.
"Our game management was excellent and we didn't give them room to breath, but we didn't see any of that in the second half and our inaccuracy gave them momentum and the game changed.
"We have to reflect on that because we need to be good enough to win these games away from home. A point might be enough, but next week is massive for us."
Zebre: Lorenzo Pani; Pierre Bruno, Luca Morisi (capt), Enrico Lucchin, Simone Gesi; Giovanni Montemauri, Gonzalo Garcia; Danilo Fischetti, Marco Manfredi, Matteo Nocera, Leonard Krumov, Andrea Zambonin, Guido Volpi, Iacopo Bianchi, Davide Ruggeri.
Replacements: Giampietro Ribaldi, Luca Rizzoli, Juan Pitinari, Matteo Canali, Giacomo Ferrari, Thomas Dominguez, Geronimo Prisciantelli, Scott Gregory.
Dragons: Cai Evans; Rio Dyer, Aneurin Owen, Harri Ackerman, Jared Rosser; Will Reed, Rhodri Williams (capt); Rhodri Jones, James Benjamin, Luke Yendle, Sean Lonsdale, George Nott, Dan Lydiate, Harri Keddie, Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements: Bradley Roberts, Rodrigo Martinez, Chris Coleman, Matthew Screech, Ollie Griffiths, Dane Blacker, Steff Hughes, Ewan Rosser.
Referee: Benoit Rousselet (France)
Assistant referees: Thomas Chereque & Pierre Bru (France)
TMO: Cedric Marchat (France).