Munster tune up Zebre as Welsh side share spoils with Italians

Munster ran in three tries to seal a comprehensive 21-7 victory over bottom-of-the-table Zebre at a drenched Thomond Park.

The visitors were in trouble early after Giulio Bertaccini was sent to the sin-bin in the third minute.

The Irish side took full advantage, taking the lead when left wing Shane Daly dotted down in the left corner in the seventh minute and JJ Hanrahan added the extras.

Munster held Zebre to just Bautista Stavile’s 32nd-minute try, converted by Giacomo Da Re.

Second-half substitute Alex Kendellen marked his return from injury with a 65th-minute try and Lee Barron added another seven minutes later, Hanrahan converting both.

Munster remain in fourth place with 39 points, one shy of third-placed Cardiff and with five fewer than leaders Glasgow Warriors.

Meanwhile, Angus O’Brien’s missed conversion consigned Dragons to a 15-15 draw with Benetton at Rodney Parade.

Fine Inisi’s try at the death drew the sides level, but O’Brien failed to add the extras for the Welsh side, who sit 14th in the United Rugby Championship table with three points fewer than Saturday’s opponents.

It was a two-try afternoon for Benetton’s Onisi Ratave, who opened the scoring in the second minute and added another try in the 29th, but his side were unable to convert either, nor Matt Gallagher’s 50th-minute try.

Levi Douglas got Dragons going with an 11th-minute try, converted by O’Brien, before he was shown a 20-minute red card in the 33rd minute.

Benetton inside centre Malakai Fekitoa was shown yellow 15 minutes into the contest, and Dragons went down to 13 men when Inisi was sent to the sin bin in the 39th minute.

O’Brien added a 69th-minute penalty but was unable to secure the win after his attempt to convert Inisi’s try was wide of the post.