ALL I COULD ASH FOR
Ewan at double as Everitt’s men keep play-off hopes alive
SEAN EVERITT admitted Zebre pushed them all the way as Edinburgh secured the bonus-point win they needed to give their URC play-off hopes a boost.
Two tries from man-of-thematch Ewan Ashman helped them to a 19-7 half-time lead.
And although the Italians scored first after the break, scores from WP Nel, Chris Dean, Ben Vellacott and Javan Sebastian saw the Scots home.
Everitt said: “Credit to Zebre, they’ve given a hard time to every opposition they’ve played against.
“So we knew we were going to be in a tussle, I’m just happy the guys showed composure in the last 20 to pull it through.
“When we came in on Monday after the break we said it was going to take something special from each and every individual over the next four weeks.”
And on Scotland hooker Ashman, the Edinburgh boss added: “He’s done really well.
“He’s worked incredibly hard at his game. When he arrived here he was criticised for his lineout throwing – he’s now the second-best lineout thrower in the URC with the most throws.
“He deserved his man-ofthe-match award this evening.”
Edinburgh took the lead just past 15 minutes when Ashman finished off from a lineout maul after a penalty had been sent to touch on the right.
But Ben Healy hooked his conversion attempt wide.
Then Zebre went ahead in controversial fashion when Geronimo Prisciantelli raced through a hole in Edinburgh’s defence and touched down close to the posts.
The home team protested Grant Gilchrist had been blocked in the build-up but rookie ref Ben Breakspear let the score stand. Thomas Dominguez converted.
Edinburgh had a chance to hit back when they sent a penalty to touch 15 metres out on the left – but the throwin was stolen by the defence.
Three minutes later, they tried again and this time they got it right, with Ashman claiming his second.
Healy converted to put his team five points up – and a couple of minutes later added two more after WP Nel got Edinburgh’s third try after a close-range assault on the line.
Edinburgh began the second 40 determined to kill off the game with that bonuspoint score as soon as possible.
But Zebre claimed the first score as winger Jacopo Trulla finished off following lengthy pressure and Giovanni Montemauri converted to reduce the deficit to 19-14.
With quarter-of-an-hour to play, another penalty went to the corner and another maul set off for the lineout.
The maul was collapsed illegally but the move continued and Dean scored in the right corner, Healy converting to make it 26-14.
Vellacott and Sebastian added two more and Cammy Scott converted to wrap it up.