DRAGONS PUT END TO AWAY-DAY WOE
DAVID Cameron was Prime Minister and the United Kingdom hadn’t voted on its future in the European Union the last time the Dragons won away in the Guinness Championship.
They finally ended that unwanted streak, which stretched back 45 matches to 28 March 2015 and a 32-17 victory over Benetton with an entertaining triumph over a Zebre side reduced to 14 players for nearly all of the second half at Parma’s Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.
The Italian outfit’s new signing, former England Under-20 wing star Charlie Walker, was sent off for receiving a second yellow card, the first for foul play and the latter for entering a ruck illegally.
They were 21-14 in front when he got his marching orders from Irish referee Sean Gallagher.
It was almost all one-way traffic in the other direction afterwards as the Dragons crossed the whitewash five times in the second half to rack up 38 points.
They scored seven in total with wing Owen Jenkins (two), scrum-half Rhodri Williams, full-back Jordan Williams, allaction flanker Taine Basham and No. 8 Harri Keddie touching down.
There was also a penalty try, while outside-half signing Sam Davies, the Wales cap, was flawless with his goalkicking, converting six times and landing a penalty for a 15-point haul.
Zebre’s heads may have dropped after a hugely entertaining and enjoyable first half but they did finish with a penalty try to grab a bonus point.
Zebre had taken the lead with a gem of a try after smart handling culminated in blindside flanker Iacopo Bianchi forcing his way over for outside-half Michelangelo Biondelli to successfully convert.
They quickly doubled their advantage to 14 points when No. 8 Giovanni Licata intercepted Dragons scrum-half Rhodri Williams’s pass, Biondelli again converting.
Dragons responded with left-wing Will Talbot-Davies leaping high to catch a pass in the corner.
He put a foot in touch before grounding the ball but had been illegally tackled by Walker, who got his first yellow card, to result in a penalty try.
Rhodri Williams swooped soon afterwards to atone for his earlier error with Davies converting to level matters.
Zebre finished the half on a high by mounting another impressive longrange attack, with their New Zealand scrum-half Josh Renton taking a quick tap-penalty to score, Biondelli converting, to lead by seven points.
Walker was sent off after picking up a second yellow card. He got it a minute into the second half for entering a ruck illegally to automatically be permanently dismissed.
Jenkins took advantage by powering over for the Dragons, with Davies converting to draw them level for a second time.
Jordan Williams scored a trademark solo try for the Dragons in the 49th minutes, ghosting past would-be tacklers with ease. Davies converted and they led for the first time.
That sparked the opening of the floodgates, with Jenkins, Basham and Keddie going over to put smiles on the faces of the Dragons.