Gloucester Rugby made the perfect start to their European Challenge Cup campaign with a 23-10 victory over Zebre in Pool 4.
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The hosts made a quick start to the match, and opened the scoring after just eight minutes as Ross Moriarty set up Henry Purdy to run over for the game's first try in the corner.
Billy Burns was unable to add the extra two points with a kick from touch, but a second Gloucester try five minutes later from Moriarty doubled the side's advantage. Burns converted, and the defending champions had an early 12-0 lead.
Burns added six more points with two penalty kicks before the half-hour mark, and a Steve McColl try on the stroke of half time following some good handling work from the Gloucester backs seemed to end the game as a contest.
Gloucester struggled after the break, and went down to 14 men when Lewis Ludlow was shown a yellow card.
Zebre made their opponents pay for their ill discipline moments later, when they were awarded a penalty try on 52 minutes. Edoardo Padovani converted, and added three more points with a penalty on the hour mark.
With Ludlow back on the field, the hosts saw out the second half to secure a 23-10 victory.
Stephen Topping
