EDINBURGH HIT EARLY TO EARN THEIR STRIPES AGAINST 14-MAN ZEBRE
EDINBURGH picked up a vital away victory in Italy but will perhaps head home frustrated that they could not inflict more damage.
Mike Blair’s men ran in three tries before the hosts had MJ Pelser red-carded just 22 minutes into the match — and they looked set for a big win with a 31-0 lead early in the second half.
However, Zebre rallied despite their numerical disadvantage, with Alessandro Fusco, Luca Rizzoli and Jacopo Trulla all going over after the break.
Edinburgh scored the opening try in the seventh minute when hooker Adam McBurney picked up the ball and darted for the line.
Emiliano Boffelli added the extras before McBurney was held up as he came agonisingly close to a second try five minutes after his first.
The 26-year-old’s close call had come from a lineout drive and a similar move soon after led to Jamie Hodgson burrowing over,
with Boffelli sending his conversion attempt wide.
The Argentina international rediscovered his range after Edinburgh spread the ball out to the left wing for debutant Wes Goosen to go over, and things went from bad to worse for Zebre when Pelser saw red for a dangerous clearout on Nick Haining.
McBurney wrapped up the bonus point from a driving maul in the 26th minute, with Boffelli’s conversion making it 26-0.
Boffelli was then sin-binned following an offside offence in the closing moments of the half as Zebre enjoyed their best period of the match to that point, but Pierre Bruno spilled the ball forwards in the act of scoring as a golden opportunity went begging.
Henry Immelman collected Matt Currie’s looping pass to touch down within two minutes of the second half getting under way. Jaco van der Walt — kicking in Boffelli’s absence — struck a post from the tee.
Fusco had a try disallowed for a forward pass in the build-up, but a quickly-taken penalty soon after saw the scrum-half belatedly get his side off the mark.
Tiff Eden was wayward with the conversion, but a converted Rizzoli try showed the hosts would not lie down.
Currie crossed to give Edinburgh more of a cushion, but it was Zebre who edged the second-half scoring after Trulla added his name to the scoresheet. Replacement Charlie Savala and Prisciantelli converted the two late tries respectively.
SCORERS; Zebre — Tries: Fusco, Rizzoli, Trulla. Con: Prisciantelli.
Edinburgh — Tries: McBurney (2), Hodgson, Goosen, Immelman, Currie. Cons: Boffelli (3).