Brive 16-18 Zebre: Carlo Canna’s late strike secures victory for Zebre

CARLO Canna kicked a penalty with a minute left on the clock to hand Zebre victory in a tense encounter against Brive at Stade Amedee-Domenech.

Victory backs up last week's 25-25 draw against Bayonne.

Brive drew the first blood in the fourth minute when Guillaume Galletier dotted down and Tedo Abzhandadze kicked the conversion but Zebre went on to level the scores in the 14th minute after Marcello Violi crossed over with Canna improving it.

Another penalty kick from Abzhandadze in the 17th minute put the French side on top but it was shortlived as Mesake Doge was sin-binned in the 29th minute and immediately Zebre made use of the numerical advantage with Pierre Bruno scoring their second try in the 33rd minute as the teams went into the break with a 10-12 scoreline.

Brive regained the lead in the 11th minute after the restart with Abzhandadze slotting another penalty and with his third threepointer in the 66th minute the scoreline became 16-12.

Nevertheless, Canna kept Zebre in striking distance with a penalty in the 66th minute and then held his nerve to kick the decisive three-pointer in the 79th minute to hand Brive heartbreak.

The two teams will again meet on January 16 in the third round of the tournament.

Brive v Zebre – player rating

BRIVE: Tuicuvu, Jurand (Nkanang 75), Galletier (Darthou 69), Galala, Tirefort (Japaridze 30), Abzhandadze, Delarue (Delord 76); Tapueluelu (Brennan 56), Alkhazashvili (Jouannet 76), Doge (Japaridze 52), van Eerten (Malafosse 66), South, Tskhadadze, Abadie (Giorgadze 56), Kamikamica

ZEBRE: Biondelli (Rizzi 59), Bruno, Bisegni (Masselli 75), Mori, Elliott (Lucchin 66), Canna, Violi (Casilio 49), Fischetti (Lovotti 63), Bigi (Fabiani 66), Zilocchi (Bello 26, Bello 60), Ortis (Krumov), Kearney, Tuivaiti, Mbanda, Giammarioli

REFEREE: Adam Neal (RFU)

Star man: Carlo Canna – Brive