Edinburgh make light work of Zebre but Mike Blair frustrated with 'stop-start' second half

Zebre 19 Edinburgh 38

Visits to Italy have often been hazardous affairs for Edinburgh, especially when they are understrength. But despite being without ten of their Scotland internationals, Mike Blair’s team made light work of their trip to Parma on Saturday as they claimed their first away win of the season to go into the top half of the URC table.

The try bonus point was in the bag well before the break and two touchdowns followed in the second half to make it six tries in total for the Scottish side at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi. Bottom club Zebre looked a pale shadow of the side that had run the Sharks and Leinster close in their first two outings in this season’s URC, and their cause was not helped by the first-half sending-off of MJ Pelser for a shoulder-to-head contact off the ball on Nick Haining. But they were already 19-0 down by the time they were reduced to 14 men, and would have lost a lot more heavily if they had not slowed the game down as much as possible.

Head coach Blair was thoroughly satisfied with the way his players went about their business straight from kick-off, and somewhat dissatisfied with Zebre’s delaying tactics. “I thought that when we were on it today we were really good,” he said. “This was a Zebre team who have scored a lot of tries at home and who have been an improving team over the last six months. To come away with the number of guys we didn't have available was really impressive.

Adam McBurney - Edinburgh try scorer - breaks upfield during the win over Zebre at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma, Italy. Photo by David Gibson/Fotosport/Shutterstock (13486185a)

“After half-time the game was so stop-start. I don't know how you stop that. It seemed that the Zebre front row went down at any opportunity - I don't know if they were struggling or if it was a tactic. On top of the four water breaks you have in a game, it slows everything down and probably reduces it as a spectacle.”

The second half was indeed soporific at best, but the free-flowing first 40 more than compensated. Edinburgh took no more than a few minutes to get into their stride, and once they did they were soon on the scoresheet, with hooker Adam McBurney breaking free after a Henry Immelman break.

Jamie Hodgson got the second try from a maul, and then Wes Goosen celebrated his debut by claiming the third. When McBurney got his second from a lineout maul, the game was as good as over.

Emiliano Boffelli, who converted three of the four tries, was yellow-carded right before the break for a team offence. But Zebre could not take advantage of being back on equal terms, and the first score of the second half was a try by Immelman.

The home team finally came into the game after that, scoring through Alessandro Fusco from a tap penalty and then Luca Rizzoli from close range. Currie added a sixth try for the Scots, converted by substitute Charlie Savala, before Jacopo Trulla had the last word for the home side with their third try. Geronimo Prisciantelli added two conversions for the home team.

“It was great that Wes got his first game for the club,” Blair said of summer signing Goosen. “He has been pretty frustrated with the start of his season with his niggling injuries, but I thought he did some really positive stuff.”