Bowen scores twice as Cardiff beat Zebre 40-27 for second URC win

Cardiff scored six tries to beat Zebre 40-27 at the Arms Park on Friday, recording a second successive United Rugby Championship victory after their opening win over Scarlets. Tom Bowen contributed two tries, while the hosts secured their attacking bonus point before half-time. BBC Sport Wales reported that a crowd of 7,231 watched Cardiff build a commanding lead before Zebre recovered late on.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-qjM2UX-jE

The visitors initially had the better of the exchanges, with Tommaso Allan kicking a penalty after missing an earlier attempt. Cardiff responded through Teddy Williams, who finished after a pass from Alex Mann. It was Williams' first competitive home appearance since suffering a serious foot injury at the ground in October 2025. Javan Sebastian then added another try after fellow front-rower Dafydd Hughes supplied him from a tap penalty.

Zebre answered with a Francisco Minervino try, but Cardiff's forwards continued to produce scores. Taine Basham crossed from an attacking scrum before Mann delivered the fourth try in the 36th minute. Ben Thomas and Hughes helped create that score, which ensured Cardiff had the bonus point in hand as they reached the interval 26-8 ahead.

Bowen extended the advantage after the restart, collecting a Callum Sheedy grubber kick to score his first try. The wing later added his second after being released by scrum-half Johan Mulder, helping Cardiff establish a 40-8 lead. The home side also introduced 18-year-old hooker Tom Howe for his senior debut, while replacement hooker Evan Lloyd covered the back row after taking over from Basham.

The final 21 minutes brought three Zebre tries and changed the complexion of the scoreline. Replacement Giacomo Ferrari and centre Giulio Bertaccini crossed before Giacomo Da Re finished following a break by full-back Giovanni Montemauri. Da Re's score secured Zebre's own try bonus point, giving the visitors a reward from a match in which they had trailed by 32 points.

Cardiff's two wins provide a positive start to the campaign, although their late defensive lapses allowed Zebre to narrow the final margin to 13 points. The Italian side had opened the season with a 47-13 defeat by Bulls. Cardiff next travel to Dublin to face defending champions Leinster, with that fixture scheduled for the following Saturday, according to the BBC report.