{"id":53989,"date":"2025-04-27T05:47:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T05:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/53989\/"},"modified":"2025-04-27T05:47:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T05:47:12","slug":"edinburgh-clinch-a-draw-at-the-death-against-zebre-to-breathe-some-life-into-play-off-hopes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/53989\/","title":{"rendered":"Edinburgh clinch a draw at the death against Zebre to breathe some life into play-off hopes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MattMatt Currie’s last minute try, converted from the touchline by Cammy
\n Scott, secured a draw for Edinburgh away to Treviso. Image: \u00a9 Craig Watson –
\nwww.craigwatson.co.uk <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n

EDINBURGH just about kept their hunt for a top-eight finish in the URC alive. After stuttering for 80 minutes of their match in Parma, they finally found their attacking flair, allowing centre Matt Currie to go over, and coming man Cammy Scott held his nerve to slot the touchline conversion and pull the scores level.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In reality, a draw was probably more than Edinburgh deserved for long periods of the match, during which they looked off their game, but it speaks volumes for their resilience that they still managed to find their sting when it really mattered, coming back from 19-6 down, culminating in that one moment they needed with the clock in the red to rescue not just a draw, but their league season as well.<\/p>\n

In fairness, minds might have been partly on next week\u2019s European Challenge Cup semi-final against Bath, and the late decision to bring the game forward 24 hours might have played a role in the passive opening 40, but they know they played something of a \u2018get out of jail\u2019 card in this game.<\/p>\n

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Sean Everitt<\/strong>, the coach, acknowledged that although it was nearly worse, this may still not be enough, and Edinburgh probably still need other results to go their way if they are to make the league play-offs. Two bonus-point wins would take them to 49 points and put them in the mix, but it\u2019s a crowded field.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always a chance on 49 points, but I think 51 makes it safe,\u201d he admitted. \u201cWe\u2019re going to have to rely on other results to get through now. Tonight, I was proud of the way the guys came back from 19-6 down to have a chance to win it, but it was not good enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been a massive improvement within the group over the last six or seven weeks. We had a lot of youngsters playing tonight. Harry Paterson<\/strong> hadn\u2019t played for a while and played really well. Cammy Scott<\/strong> nailed a conversion from the corner of the field. There\u2019s a lot to be positive about. But defensively, we weren\u2019t good enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m disappointed we didn\u2019t get the win. There were some really good moments in the game that I\u2019m proud of, but we needed to get four or five points tonight. We didn\u2019t do that, so I\u2019m disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n

His side started poorly, just as you would imagine a team expecting to play 24 hours later might, and never really recovered until it was almost too late. It was their opponents who opened the stronger, took the game to the visitors, and, with more confidence and guile, might have made it pay earlier than they did.<\/p>\n

Somehow, Edinburgh were able to ride out the storm, and a late tackle on Darcy Graham<\/strong> from Giacomo Da Re<\/strong>, the Zebre fly-half, earned him a yellow-card and gave the Scots their first visit to the red zone, resulting in their first points, with fly-half Ross Thompson<\/strong> kicking the penalty after a scrum fell apart.<\/p>\n

It was a false dawn, though. Edinburgh failed to clear their lines from the restart, Zebre found space down the left, then tried their luck down the middle, and when they recycled back left, there was an inch of space for scrum-half Alessandro Fusco<\/strong> to throw a dummy and slip through to score the opening try.<\/p>\n

Edinburgh recovered to regain the lead, Thompson again opting to kick the points, but as they had done earlier, they immediately surrendered an attacking position to the home side, which resulted in the second try for the Italians.<\/p>\n

It was simplicity itself: line-out, maul, and Fusco somehow smuggled himself through the middle to zip over the line for his second touchdown. With Da Re converting, Zebre had a six-point lead at the break, and Edinburgh had no complaints.<\/p>\n

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The sense of a problem soon became a crisis as Zebre came out after the break and immediately scored again. They hit up the middle, moved the ball to midfield where blindside wing Simone Gesi<\/strong> found space to race diagonally across the field and put Jacopo Trulla,<\/strong> the full-back, in for the third try.<\/p>\n

Was there any way Edinburgh could come back from 13 points down? Certainly, their immediate response was a catalogue of mistakes that suggested otherwise, but luckily, errors can sometimes work to your advantage. Edinburgh made a mess of a line-out on the home line, but when the ball went loose, Boan Venter<\/strong>, the prop, was first to it as the defence scattered, and he had a clear run to the line.<\/p>\n

It took a goal-line turnover from flanker Hamish Watson<\/strong> to stop the Italians hitting straight back, as Gesi almost jinked his way over, but as the replacements started to flood on, Edinburgh were slowly improving.<\/p>\n

There was no stopping the bullocking charge from Venter as he battered his way through the home backline and claimed his second comeback try.<\/p>\n

The Thompson conversion made it a one-point game, but a yellow-card for Ben Muncaster,<\/strong> the Edinburgh flanker, meant they faced most of the final minutes a man down. It took an interception from wing Jack Brown<\/strong> to relieve the pressure as Zebre turned the screw, but when the visitors returned to the Scots\u2019 22, they took the points on offer, with replacement fly-half Giovanni Montemauri<\/strong> slotting a penalty.<\/p>\n

He added another to make sure his side couldn\u2019t lose, only to set up that dramatic finish with Graham powering through the middle and setting up Currie for the try, before Scott showed nerves of steel to nail the extras.<\/p>\n

Minds now turn to Bath and that semi-final next week, with Ewan Ashman<\/strong> expected to be fit, while players rested for this game should strengthen the team. Should Edinburgh have played Pierre Schoeman<\/strong> and Jamie Ritchie<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe try to stagger the breaks,\u201d Everitt explained. \u201cDarcy [Graham] had his break last week. It would have had to be either Connacht or Ulster or the semi-final if they [Schoeman and Ritchie] had played in this game. The semi-final would have taken them to six games.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fortunately, it is a fresh start\u2014and at least they didn\u2019t lose. That\u2019s the important thing.<\/p>\n

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Teams \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zebre Parma:<\/strong> J Trulla; S Gregory, F Paea, D Mazza (L Morisi, 73), S Gesi; G Da Re (G Montemauri, 69), A Fusco (G Garcia, 55); D Fischetti (C) (P Buonfiglio, 69), T Di Bartolomeo (L Bigi, 64), (J Pitinari, 50), M Hasa, M Canali, L Krumov, G Ferrari (A Zambonin, 65), B Stavile (R Nasove, 62), G Licat.<\/p>\n

Edinburgh:<\/strong> H Paterson; D Graham, M Currie, J Lang (M Tuipulotu, 53), J Brown; R Thompson (C Scott, 72), A Price (C Shiel, 69); B Venter (R Hislop, ), P Harrison (H Morris, 69), D Rae (A Williams, 65), G Young, S Skinner (G Gilchrist, 46), B Muncaster, H Watson (F Douglas, 73), M Bradbury (C).<\/p>\n

Referee:<\/strong> Ben Connor (WRU)<\/p>\n

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Scorers\u00a0\u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zebre Parma:<\/strong> Try: Fusco, 2, Trulla; Cons: Da Re, 2; Pens: Montemauri 2.<\/p>\n

Edinburgh:<\/strong> Try: Venter 2, Currie; Con: Thomson, Scott; Pens: Thomson, 2.<\/p>\n

Scoring sequence (Zebre Parma first):<\/strong> 0-3; 5-3; 5-6; 10-6; 12-6 (h-t) 17-6; 19-6; 19-11; 19-16; 19-18; 22-18; 25-18; 25-25; 25-25.<\/p>\n

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Yellow cards \u2013 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Zebre:<\/strong> Da R (18 mins).<\/p>\n

Edinburgh:<\/strong> Muncaster (65 min)<\/p>\n

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