United Rugby Championship: Six-try Scarlets beat Zebre 41-24 in Parma

Scarlets earned a measure of revenge for Welsh rugby in Italy with a bonus-point triumph over winless United Rugby Championship rivals Zebre.

Corey Baldwin, Ryan Conbeer and Johnny McNicholl scored first-half tries with Zebre's points coming from Carlo Canna.

Sam Lousi, Zebre's Canna, Michelangelo Biondelli and Scarlets' Tomas Lezana and Carwyn Tuipulotu also went over.

Giovanni D'Onofrio added Zebre's third, but there was to be no repeat of Italy's Six Nations heroics in Cardiff.

Instead, after glorying in the Azzurri's efforts against Wales, Italy's rugby chiefs were offered a reminder of the status of their domestic game as Scarlets earned a rare away win in the Parma sunshine.

Fly-half Rhys Patchell added a penalty to his three conversions as the visitors led 24-3 at the break.

Wales pair Gareth Davies and McNicholl returned amid six Scarlets changes to the side beaten 57-12 by Bulls in South Africa last weekend.

Joe Roberts made his first start at centre and there were recalls for wing Baldwin and number eight Sione Kalamafoni while Shaun Evans — whose previous four starts this season have been as a flanker — began at hooker.

Evans joined Kemsley Mathias and Javan Sebastian in the front-row.

Scrum-half Davies and McNicholl both started Wales' Six Nations defeat against Italy while Zebre included three players who recorded their first ever win away over Wales in Cardiff, scrum-half Alessandro Fusco, hooker Luca Bigi and captain David Sisi.

But there was to be no fairytale for that trio in Parma, with Zebre still without a win in this competitions since beating Dragons in February 2021.

Baldwin and Conbeer exploited their pace to score the opening tries after Canna's early penalty.

McNicholl's outstretched arm ensured his score