By Joe Crocker
Newport Gwent Dragons went straight to the top of the Rabo Direct Pro12 league with a great first half performance at Rondey Parade.
The league's new boys were left scratching their heads as Darren Edwards' team came out of the blocks flying with four bonus point first half tries.
It has been a long off-season and it was Zebre who had the first chance to get some points on the board but an early long-range penalty from their outside-half, Luciano Orquera, went just wide. This spurred the Dragons on and Tom Prydie opened the floodgate with his first competitive points for the Dragons with a penalty.
In a fast and frenzied six minutes the Dragons imposed themselves on the match when Andy Tuilagi scored after some excellent work when late scrum-half replacement, Jon Evans, and new signing at full-back, Dan Evans, worked well together to send the Samoan over the whitewash. Steffan Jones increased the Dragons' lead with a well taken drop goal before winger Will Harries raced through with a second try.
Orquera scored Zebra's first league points after 24 minutes with a penalty but then the rest of the first half belonged to two of the Dragons' impressive new Welsh signings as Dan Evans scored a brace of tries and the Tom Prydie kept up his 100% kicking record, interrupted only by Oqruera's second penalty.
HT Dragons 34 - Zebra 6
With the bonus point already in the bag and the usual raft of repalcements the second half failed to live up to the first with Zebra concentrating on a litle bit of damage limitation. If fact the only score of the second half came in the last 7 minutes when Prydie scored another penalty to take his game haul to 14 points.
FT Dragons 37 - Zebra 6
Man of the Match: Pat Leach (Newport Gwent Dragons)
