Hughes scores hat-trick as Cardiff win at Zebre

United Rugby Championship

Zebre (7) 14

Tries: Licata, Zanon Cons: Farias 2

Cardiff (19) 29

Tries: Hughes 3, Basham Cons: I Lloyd 2, Wilde Pen: I Lloyd

Daf Hughes scored a hat-trick as Cardiff made light of their lengthy list of absentees to win 29-14 at Zebre in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

The depleted Blue and Blacks continued their strong start to the URC with a four-try win in Parma.

Hooker Hughes, starting because Evan Lloyd was called up by Wales due to an injury to Cardiff captain Liam Belcher, finished off three attacking line-outs for a 19-7 lead at half-time.

They withstood Zebre's late charge for an impressive victory, and added a bonus point at the death through flanker Taine Basham.

It was a fifth win in six URC games for Cardiff and a first success of the campaign outside Wales.

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Corniel Van Zyl's side were without seven players because of Wales' Test against the Springboks, plus suspended wing Josh Adams and some notable injured senior figures.

Not only did Cardiff take the spoils but they welcomed back internationals Mason Grady and James Botham for first appearances of the season, while South African centre Cornel Smit made a debut off the bench.

Cardiff went close twice in the early stages when the ball was dropped from a driving line-out that was heading over the line, and then wing Tom Bowen could only ground the ball on the left touchline despite an acrobatic dive.

It was third time lucky in the 13th minute when a penalty was kicked to the corner and hooker Hughes went over.

Then Zebre number eight Giovanni Licata was sin-binned for slapping the ball out of scrum-half Aled Davies' hands, and Cardiff took advantage by repeating the trick for Hughes' second. Fly-half Ioan Lloyd added the conversion for a 12-0 lead after 19 minutes.

The visitors paid the price for not making the most of Zebre's poor start and their lead was cut to five points approaching the half hour.

Full-back Lorenzo Pani boomed a penalty to within five metres of the line and then Licata profited from the strong drive, with fly-half Thomas Roger Farias adding the extras from the touchline.

However, Cardiff had the final say of the half when turning down a simple shot at goal in favour of kicking to the corner for an attacking line-out that Hughes rounded off to complete his hat-trick.

Lloyd converted to make it 19-7 at the break and then stretched the lead with a penalty eight minutes after the restart, with flanker Davide Ruggeri shown yellow for a late tackle.

Replacement flanker Basham was shown yellow for a high tackle and then Marco Zanon, seconds after being denied a try by a knock-on after TMO review, crashed over to give the Italians a lifeline at 22-14 with five minutes to play.

However, Cardiff held their nerve and finished on the front foot to hunt a bonus point.

Zanon was shown yellow for a deliberate knock-on and then Basham crashed over to make it a five-point haul.

How they lined up

Zebre: Pani; Belloni, Bertaccini, Zanon, Gesi; Farias, Fusco; Hasa, Di Bartolomeo, Nocera, Ortombina, Krumov, Ruggeri, Locatelli, Licata (capt).

Replacements: Ribaldi, Buonfiglio, Pitinari, Ferrari, Odiase, Prinsloo, Da Re, Mazza.

Yellow cards: Licata, Ruggeri, Zanon.

Cardiff: Winnett; Grady, Millard, S Emanuel, Bowen; I Lloyd, A Davies; Barratt, Hughes, Sebastian, McNally (capt), Nott, Donnell, D Thomas, Lawrence.

Replacements: Pearce, I Emanuel, Wainwright, Botham, Basham, Bevan, Wilde, Smit.

Yellow card: Basham.

Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Russo Filippo (Italy), Riccardo Angelucci (Italy)

TMO: Colin Brett (Scotland)