Sharks get out of jail after near-total collapse to scintillating Zebre in 10-try thriller

The Sharks went from cruising to sweating, from beach boys to get-out-of-jail birds after narrowly beating Zebre Parma in Italy on Friday night.

It was a game that was a great advertisement for the United Rugby Championship (URC) but one that will cause an immediate recession to Sean Everitt's hairline.

The Sharks head coach's side blew a 28-3 lead after half-an-hour but eventually squeaked through 42-37 in a 10-try festival where Zebre gave as good as they got.

RECAP | Zebre Parma vs Sharks

The hosts might have won the game, too, were it not for a disallowed try for foul play on Werner Kok in the build-up to Zebre substitute Jacopo Trulla's late try.

But the South Africans, after a brilliant opening display, will be too glad to get out of Italy alive and as quickly as they can with a bonus-point win.

Zebre started the game with poor discipline, which looked like it would cost them the game.

A potential foul play call on Zebre scrumhalf Chris Cook took a lengthy delay to come to a decision and when it did it was a poor call, a yellow card instead of a red that it should have been.

Cook deliberately stamped on Kerron van Vuuren and only escaped because there was deemed to be "no head contact" and "not much force".

However, television replays showed the Sharks hooker caught Cook's boot grazed his face before cannoning into his chest. Cook's intent was clearly to wound Van Vuuren, who was holding his leg in the tackle.

When Zebre got reduced to 14 men, the Sharks stepped up their attack, keeping the ball and running it through the phases until lock Reniel Hugo went over in the right corner.

It wasn't long before the Zebre's discipline tanked further when their left wing Simone Gesi also found himself in the bin with Cook when he