Edinburgh leave it late but secure tight win over Zebre Parma in Italy

Edinburgh were far from their best and made Zebre Parma pay for a lack of discipline as they left it late to secure a hard-fought 24-19 BKT United Rugby Championship victory at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.

The Scottish side trailed for the majority of the game due to an early Gonzalo Garcia try and the boot of Giovanni Montemauri, but they eventually wore the Italians down.

They were awarded a penalty try in addition to scores from Boan Venter and Dave Cherry, and two conversions and a penalty from Ben Healy was enough to see them return home with four points in a game that saw flanker Hamish Watson make his 150th appearance for the club.

The Italians were quick out of the blocks and went in for the game’s opening try after just three minutes of the contest.

It was dangerman Simone Gesi who was the architect of the score as he broke through three tackles down the left wing before flipping the ball to scrum-half Garcia to cross. Montemauri converted from the touchline.

And after soaking up a period of Edinburgh pressure when strong defence denied the Scottish side’s rolling maul, Montemauri extended the advantage with a straightforward penalty.

Edinburgh finally got on the board seven minutes before the interval when Healy slotted a penalty but a disjointed first-half display left them with work to do after the interval.

Montemauri kicked another penalty early in the second half before Edinburgh got themselves right back into the game with 46 minutes on the clock.

Edinburgh were knocking on the door against a spirited Zebre rearguard and in the eighth phase Venter managed the squeeze under the covering Zebre defence to touch down, with Healy’s conversion making it 13-10.

But the home side would not lie down and Montemauri sent over a third penalty of the evening after Edinburgh were penalised for not releasing after a tackle.

Edinburgh went ahead for the first time with 12 minutes remaining when referee Ben Whitehouse went under the posts to award a penalty try after Dylan de Leeuw was yellow carded for hauling down a dangerous rolling maul and that left the Scots 17-16 ahead

The visitors stretched their advantage as lack of discipline caught up with Zebre and it was again the maul that caused the damage as Cherry powered over with the Italian defence in disarray following three straight penalties deep in their own half.

Geronimo Prisciantelli’s late penalty secured a losing bonus-point for Zebre – their seventh of the season.