Latest
Overview
Season so far
Tournament record
Zebre Rugby Club, propping up Pool 4 in the European Rugby Challenge Cup without a point, will be hoping history repeats itself when they entertain Brive in Round 3 on Saturday.
The clubs have met twice before in the tournament – in the 2014/15 pool stage – and the Italian outfit won both matches.
Key facts
- Zebre have lost six of their last seven matches against French opposition.
- Brive were rendered scoreless at home by Bristol Bears in Round 2, only the third time in this has happened to them in European competition.
- Zebre are the only side yet to kick a penalty goal in this season’s Challenge Cup.
Le Zebre #Rugby 🦓 scaldano i motori in vista del 3° turno di @ERChallengeCup contro i Francesi del @CABCLRUGBY 🇫🇷
📅 Calcio di inizio di #ZEBvCAB sabato 7 dicembre alle ore 16:00 al Pata Stadium di #Calvisano pic.twitter.com/jZWGQ1lthO
— Zebre Rugby Club 🦓 (@ZebreRugby) December 4, 2019
Zebre Rugby Club got their first points of the campaign in Pool 4 of the European Rugby Challenge Cup with a 27-24 victory – but Brive so nearly staged an incredible comeback.
Zebre were 24-3 up at half-time, with tries from Paula Balekana, Carlo Canna, Giovanni Licata and Jamie Elliott, two of them converted by Canna.
#ZEBvCAB 🇮🇹vs🇫🇷 finale [27-24]
Le Zebre #Rugby trovano la 1a vittoria 2019/20 della coppa europea 🏆🇪🇺 @ERChallengeCup superando i francesi del @CABCLRUGBY
5 punti per i multicolor che segnano 4 mete nel primo tempo. Licata migliore in campo
📷 @stede64#ChallengeCupRugby pic.twitter.com/sInDXNwwdw
— Zebre Rugby Club 🦓 (@ZebreRugby) December 7, 2019
Brive’s only foray on to the scoreboard was an 11th-minute penalty from Tedo Abzhandadze.
But they so nearly made up for it in the space of 13 second-half minutes, with a trio of tries from Eneriko Buliruarua, Francois Da Ros and David Delarue – and three fine conversions from Abzhandadze.
Marcello Violi’s 71st-minute penalty for Zebre ultimately made the difference as the Italians finished with a three-point margin of victory.
Les supporters et partenaires du @CABCLRUGBY sont là pour pousser derrière leur équipe cet après-midi en Italie ! #WEARECAB pic.twitter.com/oJD1a4sXUu
— CABCLRUGBY (@CABCLRUGBY) December 7, 2019
That means Zebre have now won all three of their matches against Brive in this competition.
The clubs have met twice before in the tournament – in the 2014/15 pool stage – and the Italian outfit won both matches.
LIVE - TEST - Commentary