Edinburgh fall short to Zebre Parma

Ross McCann, Mosese Tuipulotu and Luke Crosbie grabbed tries for the capital side but it wasn’t enough to stop the visitors from securing all four points on the night.

Zebre playing most of the final 10 minutes – in which there was just five points between the sides – with 13 men after the Italians had one man sin-binned and another sent off.

The visitors struck first as Geronimo Prisciantelli put Jacopo Trulla away on the left, with the Italian international sprinting to touch down after six minutes.

Winger Ross McCann got Edinburgh level when it looked like the returning Emiliano Boffelli had hesitated too long with his pass, but the winger skipped back inside and boshed off a few defenders to score.

Zebre did not let up and crossed the line again as scrum-half Gonzalo Garcia sniped from the base of a ruck to dive over.

The visitors led at half-time and went further ahead when Giacomo Da Re knocked a penalty over to give Zebre a 10-point lead.

Edinburgh are so often stronger in the second-half and they got right back in the game when Ali Price zipped the ball to Mosese Tuipulotu who crashed over for his first league score.

With the conversion added, it became a three-point game, but Zebre responded well and replacement Tommaso di Bartolomeo gladly fell over the line from the back of a rumbling maul.

Edinburgh put the pressure on, with Prisciantelli seeing yellow before Luke Crosbie crashed over from short range.

Guido Volpi was then sent off for a high shot on the Edinburgh captain and it looked like Sean Everitt’s side would make their numbers count.

However, a committed defensive effort from Zebre kept the hosts out and the Italians held on for their second consecutive away victory.