Edinburgh snatched a dramatic 25-25 draw against Zebre Parma at Stadio Lanfranchi tonight, courtesy of a last-gasp Matt Currie try and a magnificent touchline conversion from the ice-cool Cammy Scott as the clock turned red.
While the two points secured on the road keep Edinburgh in the hunt for a top-eight finish in the BKT United Rugby Championship, the match was a largely frustrating affair punctuated by errors, though the visitors’ resilience in the final minutes was undeniable.
The opening exchanges were scrappy, with both sides struggling for fluency in attack and resorting to a kicking battle for territory. Clear-cut opportunities were at a premium in the early stages.
The first significant moment arrived when Zebre scrum-half Giacomo Da Re saw yellow for a late and dangerous tackle on Darcy Graham. Edinburgh capitalised on the numerical advantage, with Ross Thompson slotting the resulting penalty in the 21st minute to give the visitors a 0-3 lead.
Zebre responded swiftly with a well-executed short-side move. Eventual BKT Player of the match Alessandro Fusco, the home side’s lively scrum-half, dummied his way through to touch down after 28 minutes, nudging Zebre into a 5-3 lead.
Edinburgh, however, showed glimpses of their attacking potential. A sharp break from Ali Price ignited a flowing move that was continued by a lively Paddy Harrison, drawing another penalty which Thompson duly converted to restore Edinburgh’s slender advantage at 5-6.
But Zebre had the final say in the first half. A sustained period of pressure, fuelled by a string of penalties, culminated in a lineout drive. Once again, the influential Fusco broke free to score his second try just before the interval, giving the hosts a 12-6 lead heading into the break.
The second half began with Zebre extending their advantage. Jacopo Trulla finished off a move in the corner, and with the conversion successful, Edinburgh found themselves facing a daunting 19-6 deficit, with the game seemingly slipping away.
The introduction of co-captain Grant Gilchrist from the bench appeared to inject some impetus and leadership into the Edinburgh pack. Their efforts were rewarded when Boan Venter tidied up a loose lineout and powered over the line for Edinburgh’s first try on 55 minutes, reducing the arrears to 19-11.
Just as Edinburgh looked to build momentum, Zebre threatened to pull further away. However, a heroic goal-line stand, featuring a crucial turnover from Hamish Watson and a follow-up penalty win from Harry Paterson, kept the hosts at bay.
This defensive resilience spurred Edinburgh on. A series of penalties marched them into the Zebre 22, and Venter showed his predatory instincts once more, taking a quick tap penalty and finishing strongly from close range for his second try. Thompson’s successful conversion brought Edinburgh right back into the contest at 19-18 with 17 minutes remaining.
A pivotal moment arrived shortly after Venter’s second score when Ben Muncaster was shown a somewhat harsh yellow card for a no-arms tackle, despite appearing to attempt a wrap.
Down to 14 men, Edinburgh were forced to dig deep defensively. They showed immense character, including a vital interception just five metres from their own line, to prevent Zebre from capitalising on their numerical advantage. However, the pressure eventually told, and Zebre slotted another penalty to extend their lead to 22-18.
Replacement fly-half Cammy Scott then produced a moment of brilliance, a sublime touch-finder pinning Zebre deep in their own 22 with just five minutes left on the clock. Edinburgh applied pressure, but when Zebre added another penalty in the 79th minute to make it 25-18, the game looked lost.
But Edinburgh refused to surrender. In a dramatic final play, Paterson broke free and found Graham on a short line. The winger then offloaded to the onrushing Currie, who touched down in the corner as the clock ticked into the red.
The tension was palpable as Scott lined up the touchline conversion. With nerves of steel, he struck the ball sweetly with his left boot, watching it bend inside the left post to level the scores and secure a precious two points for Edinburgh on a dramatic night in Parma.
While the performance was far from perfect, the grit and determination shown in the final moments will give Edinburgh some confidence as they continue their push for the top eight.
Scorers:
Zebre Parma: Tries: Alessandro Fusco (2), Jacopo Trulla. Conversions: Giacomo Da Re (2). Penalties: Giovanni Montemauri (2).
Edinburgh Rugby: Tries: Boan Venter (2), Matt Currie. Conversions: Ross Thompson, Cammy Scott. Penalties: Ross Thompson (2).
Teams
Zebre Parma: 15 Jacopo Trulla, 14 Scott Gregory, 13 Fetuli Paea, 12 Damiano Mazza, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giacomo Da Re, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 Giovanni Licata, 7 Bautista Stavile, 6 Giacomo Ferrari, 5 Leonard Krumov, 4 Matteo Canali , 3 Muhamed Hasa, 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1 Danilo Fischetti (c). Replacements: 16 Luca Bigi, 17 Paolo Buonfiglio, 18 Juan Pitinari, 19 Andrea Zambonin, 20 Rusiate Nasove, 21 Gonzalo Garcia, 22 Giovanni Montemauri, 23 Luca Morisi
Edinburgh Rugby: 15 Harry Paterson, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Matt Currie, 12 James Lang, 11 Jack Brown, 10 Ross Thompson, 9 Ali Price, 8 Magnus Bradbury (c), 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Ben Muncaster, 5 Sam Skinner, 4 Glen Young, 3 D’arcy Rae, 2 Paddy Harrison, 1 Boan Venter. Replacements: 16 Harri Morris, 17 Robin Hislop, 18 Angus Williams, 19 Grant Gilchrist, 20 Freddy Douglas, 21 Charlie Shiel, 22 Cammy Scott, 23 Mosese Tuipulotu.