Zebre flyhalf Geronimo Prisciantelli kicked a crucial 8 points as the Italians fought back from an 11-point deficit in the 53rd minute to beat Oyonnax Rugby 21-14 in Round Two of the EPCR Challenge Cup.
The fly-half kicked the game’s first points from the tee, and in a hard-fought opening 40 Oyonnax Rugby scored the only try in the 39th minute, hooker Teddy Durand-Pradere forcing himself over with fly-half Justin Bouraux adding the extras to send the hosts in 7-3 up.
A yellow card for Oyonnax Rugby’s Hugo Fabregue early in the second period gave Zebre Parma a chance to find their way back into the game, but it was Oyonnax Rugby who struck courtesy of full-back Darren Sweetman who intercepted the ball on his own five-metre line before running the length of the pitch to dot down, Bouraux converting again.
Yet Zebre Parma eventually got over, lock Matteo Canali finding a gap in the spirited defensive line of the French side.
Priscantelli failed to convert but he had no such problems converting the Italian side’s second try moments later when scrum-half Gonzalo Garcia dotted down following a breakaway move to put Zebre Parma back in the lead for the first time since the first half.
Prisciantelli then kicked a further penalty before replacement Giovanni Montemauri added one of his own to confirm the Italian side’s victory, their first in this season’s competition.
Scorers:
Oyonnax Rugby: Tries: Teddy Durand-Pradere, Darren Sweetnam. Conversions: Justin Bouraux (4).
Zebre Parma: Tries: Matteo Canali, Gonzalo Garcia. Conversion: Geronimo Prisciantelli. Penalties: Geronimo Prisciantelli (2), Giovanni Montemauri.
Teams:
Oyonnax Rugby: 15 Darren Sweetnam, 14 Gavin Stark, 13 Leo Treilles, 12 Theo Millet, 11 Daniel Ikpefan, 10 Justin Bouraux, 9 Ilan El Khattabi, 8 Rory Grice, 7 Hugo Hermet, 6 Kevin Lebreton, 5 Hugo Fabregue, 4 Ewan Johnson, 3 Ali Oz, 2 Teddy Durand-Pradere, 1 Rory Sutherland. Replacements: 16 Benjamin Geledan, 17 Antoine Abraham, 18 Christopher Vaotoa, 19 Steve Mafi, 20 Loic Credoz, 21 Yvan David, 22 Domingo Miotti, 23 Maxime Salles.
Zebre Parma: 15 Lorenzo Pani, 14 Pierre Bruno, 13 Fetuli Paea, 12 Enrico Lucchin, 11 Jacopo Trulla, 10 Geronimo Prisciantelli, 9 Gonzalo Garcia, 8 Jake Polledri, 7 Taina Fox-Matamua, 6 Guido Volpi, 5 Leonard Krumov, 4 Matteo Canali, 3 Juan Pitinari, 2 Marco Manfredi, 1 Luca Rizzoli. Replacements: 16 Luca Bigi, 17 Alessio Sanavia, 18 Matteo Nocera, 19 Dylan De Leeuw, 20 Giacomo Ferrari, 21 Thomas Dominguez, 22 Giovanni Montemauri, 23 Giovanni Licata.