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Zebre Rugby Club's Guglielmo Palazzani
Zebre and Bayonne meet for the first time in European competition this weekend at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi as the European Rugby Challenge Cup gets underway.
The French side will be eager to stop a rot that has seen them lose 10 consecutive away games in the competition, but will be high on confidence after recent domestic wins over Heineken Champions Cup hopefuls RC Toulon and Montpellier.
Zebre, meanwhile, earned victories over Brive and Stade Français during last year’s Challenge Cup competition.
This game is live on Sky Italia on Saturday December 12 at 13:00 UK and Irish Time.
Match facts
- This will be the first ever meeting in European competition between Zebre and Bayonne.
- Last season Zebre won two and lost two of their four pool stage games against TOP 14 opponents in the Challenge Cup, picking up a home win against Brive and an away win against Stade Francais.
- Bayonne have lost their last 10 away games in the Challenge Cup, those defeats coming by an average margin of 27 points.
- Bayonne’s goal kicking success rate of 62% was the lowest of any side in the Challenge Cup last season, as a team they missed eight kicks at goal.
- Zebre’s scrum success rate of 82% was the lowest of any side in the Challenge Cup last season, they lost seven of 38 scrums on their own feed.
Zebre Rugby centre Tommaso Boni in action last season in the European Rugby Challenge Cup
Zebre and Bayonne drew 25-25 in an enthralling encounter at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in the European Rugby Challenge Cup.
Hosts Zebre took the lead within the first minute through a Junior Laloifi score, but Bayonne hit back through a Micheal Ruru try and two Manuel Ordas penalties.
Zebre would go into the break ahead though, as fly-half Antonio Rizzi dotted down and converted before adding a penalty in the final minute of the half to put the home side 18-13 up.
Termina sul 25-25 il primo turno di #ChallengeCupRugby tra Zebre #Rugby 🦓 e @avironrugbypro 🇫🇷
Tante occasioni non colte per il XV di coach Bradley che ci riproverà venerdì 18 dicembre a Brive nel 2° turno di @ERChallengeCup pic.twitter.com/7ht0H8rbOe
— Zebre Rugby Club 🦓🏳️🌈 (@ZebreRugby) December 12, 2020
Bayonne wing Remy Baget then levelled the scores with a try three minutes into the second half, before Maxime Delonca scored to put the visitors in front.
Zebre refused to be beaten though and responded through a Matteo Nocera try which was converted by Rizzi to leave the game tied at 25-25 with fifteen minutes to play.
There would be no further scores though, with the two sides having to settle for a draw having both held the lead at different points in the game.
Zebre’s next game in the European Rugby Challenge Cup sees them travel to Brive, while Bayonne host Leicester Tigers.
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