Dragons beat Zebre to set up Montpellier semi-final

European Challenge Cup

Zebre (17) 32

Tries: Trulla, Bertaccini, Krumov, Quattrini Cons: Da Re 3 Pens: Da Re 2

Dragons (17) 35

Tries: Inisi, Keddie 2, Dee Cons: O'Brien 3 Pens: O'Brien 3

Dragons reached a European Challenge Cup semi-final for the first time in 10 years by defeating Zebre in the quarter-final in Parma.

Flanker Harrison Keddie scored two tries with centre Fine Inisi and hooker Elliot Dee also crossing, while full-back Angus O'Brien kicked 15 points.

Zebre responded with tries from wing Jacopo Trulla, centre Giulio Bertaccini, lock Leonardo Krumov and hooker Giovanni Quattrini, while fly-half Giacomo da Re added 12 points.

The ill-disciplined Dragons suffered two first-half yellow cards for backs David Richards and Inisi.

They did not reach the performance level of the last-16 win against Stade Francais last weekend, although Zebre scored two late tries to ensure the margin was closer than it might have been.

Filo Tiatia's side will now face another trip when they travel to play French side Montpellier on the opening weekend of May.

Dragons and Zebre are the current bottom two in the United Rugby Championship (URC), with the Italian team propping up the table and both sides only having two league wins each in 14 games.

In the only personnel change to the starting side, Dragons lock Levi Douglas missed out after being forced off with a head injury in the victory against Stade Francais.

Ryan Woodman moved from flanker to lock, with Keddie coming into the back row, while Zebre named the same starting side that beat French side Pau in the previous round.

Dragons withstood an early Zebre onslaught but opened the scoring with an O'Brien penalty before Da Re levelled the scores after number eight Aaron Wainwright was caught offside.

Dragons took the lead after Inisi latched onto a speculative chip from fellow centre Aneurin Owen.

The Welsh side were reduced to 14 men after wing Richards was shown a yellow card for a late tackle on Trulla, who punished the visitors with a clever finish that allowed Da Re to level the scores with a conversion.

Dragons lost Owen to a head injury assessment (HIA), at the insistence of the independent match doctor and referee Luke Pearce, after a heavy legal tackle from Zebre lock Matteo Canali.

Owen did not return, with Fetuli Paea coming on in the Dragons midfield. The disruption did not affect the Dragons, with Keddie burrowing over from a yard after strong build-up work from Wales prop Chris Coleman.

Wales wing Rio Dyer produced a brilliant break from his own line but the opportunity was spurned when Thomas Young's pass was missed by Inisi and went into touch.

Inisi's miserable minute was completed when he was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on as Dragons' indiscipline was again exposed.

Dragons were briefly reduced to 13 men until Richards returned and were indebted to some brilliant defensive work from flanker Young.

Zebre eventually made their extra man tell when centre Bertaccini dived over as the scores were levelled just before half-time.

Dragons started the second half in positive fashion as they ran down the clock on their second sin-binning, during which O'Brien slotted over his second penalty.

The visitors overcame conceding a concerning scrum penalty to show what they can do with a flowing attacking move.

This led to a second score for Keddie following powerful ball-carrying contributions from replacements Wyn Jones and Paea.

Zebre's second-half scrum superiority continued along with Dragons' lack of discipline, with Da Re slotting over his second penalty to bring the hosts within a score.

Dragons responded emphatically with replacement hooker Elliot Dee driven over from an effective rolling maul.

Wales lock Ben Carter and fly-half Tinus de Beer produced determined defensive displays in the second half as they continually held up Zebre attackers, while O'Brien slotted over a third penalty which proved crucial.

Zebre responded with two late consolation tries from captain Krumov and replacement hooker Quattrini but those scores proved academic.

Dragons full-back Angus O'Brien told S4C: "I'm just absolutely elated, it means so much to us as players, the club and everyone involved.

"it was important we backed up last week to show that it wasn't a one-off.

"It wasn't perfect by any means, but it's knockout rugby. I'm proud with how we came out in that second half, tidied up a few things that we spoke about in the changing rooms.

"To come away with the victory, we are absolutely delighted."

Zebre: Montemauri; Belloni, Bertaccini, Zanon, Trulla; Da Re, Garcia; Hasa, Di Bartolomeo, Neculai, Canali, Krumov (capt), Ortombina, Stavile, Odiase.

Replacements: Quattrini, Franceschetto, Pitinari, Ferrari, Licata, Fusco, Mazza, Locatelli.

Dragons: O'Brien (co-capt); Richards, Inisi, Owen, Dyer; de Beer, Armstrong; Martinez, Coghlan, Coleman, Woodman, Carter (co-capt), Keddie, Young, Wainwright.

Replacements: Dee, W Jones, James, S Davies, Lewis-Hughes, M Lloyd, Paea, Anderson.

Yellow cards: Richards 24, Inisi 33

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)

Assistant Referees: Anthony Woodthorpe & Jonathan Healy (RFU)

TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU).