Zebre shock Ospreys in Parma

MATCH REPORT: Zebre provided the shock of the weekend as they edged Ospreys by 22-17 in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday.

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A brace by wing Simone Gesi and a third by Jacopo Trulla were enough to see the home side victorious alongside two conversions and a penalty from flyhalf Giacomo Da Re.

Former Cheetah Daniel Kasende got the Ospreys on the board in the 17th minute which Owen Williams converted as well as another converted try by Lewis Lloyd late in the match.

Williams also slotted a penalty just before half-time to keep his side in touch of the Italians.

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Zebre opened the scoring when Trulla set Gesi up to dot down in the corner which flyhalf Da Re converted for a 7-0 lead.

Zebre’s discipline put them under tremendous pressure with the visitors gaining territory and possession, but they couldn’t capitalise despite coming close to scoring through Keelan Giles on the occasion of his 100th cap.

The pressure eventually broke Zebre down when Daniel Kasende opened the scoring for the visitors in the 17th minute for the converted try.

Zebre fullback Geronimo Prisciantelli ensured the hosts struck back when he set Simone Gesi away for his brace which Da Re couldn’t convert from out wide.

The home side’s discipline continued to be an issue when they were given a team warning with Owen Williams slotting a penalty attempt to bring the half-time score to 12-10 in favour of the hosts.

Zebre started the second stanza much like the first as Jacopo Trulla bagged their third and final try in the 43rd minute which Da Re converted to stretch the home side’s lead to nine points.

Da Re missed a long-range penalty attempt but made up for it in the 55th minute to stretch the lead to 22-10.

Ospreys had ample opportunity to score as they camped inside the Italian’s 22-metre area but the hosts stood firm on defence to deny the visitors any easy points.

Following a host of Ospreys substitutions Lewis Lloyd managed to barge over the line to bring then back within striking distance as Williams converted to reduce the deficit to five points.

The match was on a knife-edge in the final minutes – with possession switching hands multiple times but Zebre managed to retain the ball when it mattered and played the clock into the red to ensure a hard-fought victory.

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The scorers: 

For Zebre: 
Tries: Trulla, Gesi 2
Cons: Da Re 2
Pen: Da Re

For Ospreys: 
Tries: Kasende, Lloyd
Cons: Williams 2
Pen: Williams

Teams: 

Zebre: 15 Geronimo Prisciantelli (captain), 14 Jacopo Trulla, 13 Giulio Bertaccini, 12 Enrico Lucchin, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giacomo Da Re, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 Giacomo Ferrari, 7 Bautista Stavile, 6 Rusiate Nasove, 5 Leonard Krumov, 4 Andrea Zambonin, 3 Ion Neculai, 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1 Luca Rizzoli.
Replacements: 16 Luca Bigi, 17 Muhamed Hasa, 18 Matteo Nocera, 19 Matteo Canali, 20 Giovanni Licata, 21 Gonzalo Garcia, 22 Giovanni Montemauri, 23 Luca Morisi.

Ospreys: 15 Jack Walsh, 14 Dan Kasende, 13 Owen Watkin, 12 Keiran Williams, 11 Keelan Giles, 10 Owen Williams, 9 Kieran Hardy, 8 Morgan Morris (captain), 7 Justin Tipuric, 6 Harri Deaves, 5 Will Greatbanks, 4 James Fender, 3 Tom Botha, 2 Sam Parry, 1 Garyn Phillips.
Replacements: 16 Lewis Lloyd, 17 Steffan Thomas, 18 Ben Warren, 19 Lewis Jones, 20 Tristan Davies, 21 Luke Davies, 22 Iestyn Hopkins, 23 Max Nagy.

Referee: Ian Kenny (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Alex Frasson (Italy), Alberto Favaro (Italy)
TMO: Colin Brett (Ireland)