Edinburgh cruise to 37-0 win over Zebre in Guinness PRO12
Last Updated: 26/04/15 2:47pm
Edinburgh kept their top-six hopes alive with a 37-0 hammering of Guinness PRO12 strugglers Zebre at Murrayfield.
The hosts ran in five tries against the hapless Italians, setting them up nicely for next weekend’s European Challenge Cup final against Gloucester.
Alan Solomons’ side totally dominated the set piece, driving the lineout maul and winning regular penalties at the set scrum.
The first try came from a lineout via Roddy Grant, before winger Dougie Fife went over after 26 minutes. Two conversions and brace of penalties from rising star Sam Hidalgo-Clyne meant that Edinburgh led 20-0 at half-time.
Tries after 52 minutes from Ross Ford and Grant again four minutes later extended their advantage, with Hidalgo-Clyne converting the second which meant Edinburgh's job was done.
In the final minute yet another lineout drive was finished by Stuart McInally.
Exemplifying the wretchedness of the Zebre evening, props Matias Aguero and Dario Chistolini, plus winger Giulio Toniolatti, were all sent to the sin bin by referee Leighton Hodges.
In the ninth minute Edinburgh went ahead through Grant, at the bottom of a driven maul, with Hidalgo-Clyne converting before he added a penalty in the 20th minute.
Permanently on the back foot, Zebre lost a lineout on their line on 26 minutes and the ball was spread across the home backs for winger Fife to run round behind the posts.
Edinburgh were as dominant at the set scrum as they were in the lineout and a series of penalties ended with prop Chistolini sin-binned after 29 minutes.
Two minutes from the break Zebre winger Giulio Toniolatti also entered the sin bin after pulling Tim Visser to the ground when they both jumped for a high ball.
Zebre were no sooner back to their full complement when, after 50 minutes, loose head prop Aguero was yellow carded.
The consequent penalty was put to the corner and from the lineout Ford crossed the whitewash. Hidalgo-Clyne suffered his first miss of the night with the conversion attempt.
Two minutes later Edinburgh had the all-important bonus point with a score that was a carbon copy of the first. Again Grant was at the end of the long post line-out maul and this time Hidalgo-Clyne converted.
In the final minute yet another line out drive was finished by McInally but Hidalgo-Clyne could not convert.
