United Rugby Championship

Dragons (14) 35

Tries: Richards, Tuitavuki, Inisi, E Evans, penalty try Cons: De Beer 4

Zebre (0) 14

Tries: Canali, Wade Cons: Da Re 2

Dragons safely avoided a United Rugby Championship (URC) banana skin by beating winless Zebre despite a lengthy list of absentees.

The Rodney Parade club ended their first block of the season with a five-try victory in Newport.

Wings David Richards and Anzelo Tuitavuki crossed to earn a 14-0 lead at half-time, and dogged defence after the restart was followed by a score from centre Fine Inisi.

The bonus point was secured when Wales full-back Cai Evans scored his first professional try with nine minutes to go, and the pack earned a penalty try to finish.

While it was not a dazzling performance, it was a job done by Filo Tiatia’s side given their stretched resources.

Dragons have 14 points from five URC games – halfway to their total from 2025-26 – while Zebre’s winless run in the league will stretch to 14 months.

The Welsh side were without their five members of the Wales squad and also suffered a pre-match blow when Fetuli Paea became a 13th player on their injured list.

The Tonga centre, formerly of Zebre, failed to overcome the blow to his left ankle suffered in defeat by Ospreys.

The visitors from Parma were also hindered by the upcoming Nations Championship, with just one of their nine-strong Italy contingent, full-back Giovanni Montemauri, released for game time.

It was Dragons that got the job done to avoid their inexperienced bench – which featured teenage Monmouth schoolboy Brogan Leary – being put under serious pressure in the closing stages.

Tiatia’s side can now reflect on a solid first block to the campaign, with the break for the November internationals a timely one given their stretched squad.

Dragons started strongly and led from the sixth minute after a strong finish on his first start of the season by wing Richards, who scored a last-minute URC winner when the sides met in Parma in April.

They failed to build on that opener in a scrappy encounter, but stretched their lead in the 29th minute when Zebre were caught napping as they expected a line-out drive.

Dragons instead cleverly worked Tonga wing Tuitavuki over untouched for a try in his fifth successive game.

At 14-0 up, the home side crucially held Zebre up over the line with the clock in the red to retain a comfortable advantage at half-time.

The hope was that Dragons would show a ruthless streak to put the Italians away, but they failed to get a foothold and had to defend stoutly.

Lively Zebre wing Simone Gesi was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on after 54 minutes and was made to pay almost immediately; Tongan Inisi put through a big hole by centre partner Joe Westwood.

The next try was at the other end, replacement lock Matteo Canali burrowing over as the 14-man visitors made it 21-7.

Fears of a nervy finish were ended when former Ospreys back Evans, capped by Wales in the summer of 2023, went over for his first professional try at the age of 27 by winning the race to Morgan Lloyd’s grubber kick.

Argentine wing Tobias Wade scored a consolation try for Zebre – his first for the club – but Dragons had the final say with a penalty try from a driving line-out.

Dragons: O’Brien (capt); Richards, Inisi, Westwood, Tuitavuki; De Beer, Williams; Morris, Dee, Coleman, Langton-Cryer, Screech, Lewis-Hughes, Minto, Keddie.

Replacements: Coghlan, Martinez, James, Thomas, Scarfe, M Lloyd, Evans, Leary.

Zebre: Montemauri; Sodo Migliori, Zanon, Casarin, Gesi; da Re, Dominguez; Pelliccioli, Ribaldi, Barbotti, Ruffolo, Krumov, Ferrari, Stavile Bravin, Ruggeri.

Replacements: Minervino, Pisani, Barbatti, Canali, Botturi, Baronio, Trulla, Wade.

Yellow card: Gesi 54.

Referee: Griffin Colby (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Craig Evans & Gareth Newman (Wales)

TMO: Colin Brett (South Africa)