A dominant second-half display from Harlequins saw the English side secure their third win of the Heineken Cup against Zebre this afternoon.
The ground staff had work to do to ensure the game went ahead, as the pitch was covered in snow 18 hours before kickoff.
The match began slowly, with no score for the first 25 minutes. Sam Smith then struck twice in the space of seven minutes to give the Aviva Premiership leaders the advantage.
The Italian side finished the half with 14 men after Mauro Bergamasco was shown a yellow card.
Zebre were not affected by the loss of the Italy international, however, as Leonardo Sarto ran in a try, which saw the home side go in to the break 7-17 down.
Harlequins were too strong for Zebre in the second half. Tries from Nick Easter, Nick Evans, Matt Hopper and two penalty tries saw the visitors open up a 38-point lead with 15 minutes left to play.
Alberto Chillon restored some pride for Zebre with their second try of the game in the 74th minute, before Ben Botica became the sixth Quins player to cross the whitewash for the visitors one minute later.
The win means that Harlequins maintain their 100% record in the pool stage of the Heineken Cup, while Zebre are still looking for their first points.
Sian Cowper
