MATCH REPORT: Zebre turned the heat on to cause a massive upset at the Stadio Lafranchi to defeat Munster by 42-33 in the United Rugby Championship.
Zebre opened the scoring after a breakdown infringement by Munster, with Montemauri slotting the three points for the home side.
Munster scored four tries in the first half with centurion Gavin Coombes bagging a brace as Mike Haley and Bryan Fitzgerald on debut bagged one each.
Zebre scored two themselves in the first-half through Trulla and Fusco to stay in touch but it was in the second-half when things went pear shaped for Munster.
Trulla and Fusco both added to their first-half heroics to each grab a brace with Licata and Prisciantelli also crossing the whitewash with Munster’s Shay McCarthy crossing in the 76th minute but it was all too late at that stage.
To ensure victory, Zebre won a penalty which replacement Giacomo Da Re slotted to earn a famous win for the home side.
Scorers:
For Zebre:
Tries: Licata, Prisciantelli, Trulla 2, Fusco 2
Cons: Montemauri 3
Pens: Montemauri, Da Re.
For Munster:
Tries: Fitzgerald, Haley, McCarthy, Coombes 2
Cons: Butler 4
Teams:
Zebre: 15 Geronimo Prisciantelli, 14 Jacopo Trulla, 13 Giulio Bertaccini, 12 Luca Morisi, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giovanni Montemauri, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 Giovanni Licata, 7 Samuele Locatelli, 6 Davide Ruggeri, 5 Leonard Krumov, 4 Matteo Canali, 3 Matteo Nocera, 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1 Danilo Fischetti (captain).
Replacements: 16 Giampietro Ribaldi, 17 Luca Rizzoli, 18 Juan Pitinari, 19 Andrea Zambonin, 20 Giacomo Ferrari, 21 Patricio Baronio Gauna, 22 Scott Gregory, 23 Giacomo Da Re.
Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Shane Daly, 12 Tom Farrell, 11 Thaakir Abrahams, 10 Tony Butler, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 John Hodnett, 6 Ruadhán Quinn, 5 Fineen Wycherley, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Oli Jagerm 2 Diarmuid Barron (captain), 1 Josh Wycherley.
Replacements: 16 Niall Scannell, 17 Jeremy Loughman, 18 John Ryan, 19 Jack Daly, 20 Jack O’Donoghue, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Bryan Fitzgerald, 23 Shay McCarthy.
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Andrea Piardi (Italy), Alex Frasson (Italy)
TMO: Neil Hennessy (Wales)
