NEWPORT Gwent Dragons’ nightmare Guinness Pro12 season ended with a horror show in Italy as Zebre clambered off the bottom of the table with a thumping win.

The Dragons headed to Parma looking for just a fifth win of the league campaign and a first away from Rodney Parade but it was already clear that they were going to endure a painful whitewash by the time they headed for their half-time oranges.

They trailed 23-3 at the break to a Zebre side chasing a victory to climb above rivals Treviso, who were beaten at title-chasing Leinster, and earn Champions Cup qualification.

The hosts may have had more to play for than the 10th-placed Dragons but the manner of the defeat will have hurt head coach Kingsley Jones after a season that has included many near-misses.

The Rodney Parade side have set a Celtic League record in earning 10 losing bonus points but they were never in it at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.

There was nothing tangible for the Dragons to play for but a 47-22 scoreline was unacceptable given that some have questioned what the Italians bring to the Pro12 – Zebre end the season with more wins that the bottom Welsh region.

Not only that, but their 25-point winning margin is the biggest inflicted on the Dragons in a season in which they have lost 18 of 22 games. Only another marvellous European Challenge Cup campaign has provided some cheer.

Jones had freshened up the XV after a tough schedule that had pitted them against Gloucester and Montpellier in the Euro Challenge Cup and against the Ospreys, Cardiff Blues and the Scarlets in the league.

The hope was that the hunger of those who had been biding their time would lead to a flying start against a Zebre side who are always tricky customers on their own patch.

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The Dragons got that with an early Angus O’Brien penalty but they endured a nightmare first quarter with the Italian side in total command with a 17-3 lead after a quarter.

First hooker Oliviero Fabiani went over from a driving lineout and then it was wing Kayle van Zyl’s turn after flanker Johan Meyer's super offload went through the hands of fly-half Carlo Canna without going forward.

The Italy number 10 added both conversions and a penalty to put the bottom club in total command.

Zebre were attempting to put the squeeze on up front and dominated territory with the Dragons not helping themselves with a high error count.

It wasn't high quality fayre and after centre Jack Dixon shelled a simple pass just outside his 22, captain Nick Crosswell was pinged for a breakdown offence that saw Canna make it 20-3.

If that left the Dragons facing an uphill struggle then it got worse with the final play of the half, the visitors opting to try to run from their own 22 only for wing Adam Hughes to get back to his feet after being tackled to allow the home fly-half to notch another three-pointer.

Suddenly the Dragons were playing for respectability rather than a first away win with the need to play with more energy and accuracy.

Instead it was the hosts who continued where they left off and they were clearly content to cement the victory rather than entertain, Canna adding another penalty seven minutes after the resumption to make it 26-3 when it may have been tempting to go for the corner.

It was one-way traffic with the Dragons struggling to get anything going in attack.

Jones rang the changes to try and spark them into life and it worked with a try made by South Africa and finished by South Africa; scrum-half Sarel Pretorius showing rapid feet to burst clear from halfway and give lock Rynard Landman, a fellow replacement, a simple score.

Full-back Geraint Rhys Jones converted via the left post to make it 26-10 with 55 minutes gone.

But no sooner had the Dragons closed the gap than the hosts stretched away, Glasgow-bound wing Leonard Sarto chipping over the defensive line to expose a mammoth gap before going past full-back Jones with ease.

Canna converted and it was 33-10 approaching the hour and 40-10 just past it, hooker Bruno Postiglioni bursting over from close range after flanker Meyer's fine break.

It swiftly got worse with Italy international Kelly Haimona racing over for a far-too easy score to make it 47-10 with 15 minutes left before the Dragons were put out of their misery.

Landman went over for his second after a sustained period of pressure in the Zebre 22 but the complete absence of any celebrations told the story with the score at 47-17.

Hallam Amos will head into Wales camp on the back of another try-scoring display – the wing going over for a nicely-worked score from the final play – but this was comprehensively Zebre’s day, a fitting end for retiring talisman Marco Bortolami.

Zebre: U Beyers, K van Zyl, T Boni, M Pratichetti, L Sarto, C Canna, G Palazzani, A Lovotti, O Fabiani, G Roan, Q Geldenhuys (captain), M Bortolami, J Meyer, F Cristiano, A van Schalkwyk. Replacements: B Postoglioni, A de Marchi, D Chistolini, G Koegelenberg, F Ruzza, L Burgess, K Haimona, M Muliaina.

Zebre scorers: tries - O Fabiani, K van Zyl, L Sarto, B Postiglioni, K Haimona; conversions - C Canna (5); penalties - C Canna (4)

Dragons: GR Jones, A Hughes, A Warren, J Dixon, H Amos, A O’Brien, C Davies, P Price, R Buckley (E Dee 17-26), L Fairbrother, M Screech, N Crosswell (captain), J Thomas, J Benjamin, E Jackson. Replacements: E Dee, L Garrett, S Knight, R Landman, H Keddie, S Pretorius, D Jones, C Meyer.

Dragons scorers: tries - R Landman (2), H Amos; conversions - R Jones (2); penalty - A O'Brien

Referee: David Wilkinson (Ireland)