Connacht Rugby got their second season of Heineken Cup rugby off to the perfect start with a gritty away win in Italy - their first tournament triumph on the road.
Zebre, making their European debut, competed all the way but in outside-half Dan Parks Connacht had the star of the show with a precise kicking display, contributing 14 points on his tournament debut for the Irish province.
The Irishmen responded impressively to a stinging 25-0 RaboDirect PRO12 reverse to Ulster last week to defeat the Italian franchise. A converted John Muldoon try in the second half, accompanied by four penalties from Parks, proved to be enough for the victory.
Zebre battled throughout the game but were hampered by the sin-binning of Mauro Bergamasco on the verge of half-time, with Park's subsequent penalty leaving them 9-3 down.
Despite a strong scrummaging display from Connacht, Zebre did not buckle and scored a try late on through replacement Filippo Ferrarini. It was successfully converted by former Waratahs player Daniel Halangahu, who added to his earlier penalty.
The victory will be hugely encouraging for Eric Elwood's men who lost their first five Pool matches last season and all three away fixtures. Zebre remain without a win in all competitions this season.
