Ulster welcome Zebre to Kingspan Stadium on Friday night in Round 5 of the 2019/20 Guinness PRO14 Championship.
A winless Zebre side will head into this contest determined to build on their resilient performance against Leinster, while Ulster will be buoyed by their 23-14 triumph over Cardiff Blues that consolidated their position in the Conference A table.
The Italian team were defiant under the Parma lights in Round 4 despite their 3-0 loss, but have been blown away by Edinburgh, Dragons and Scarlets in recent weeks and conceded no fewer than 156 points in the process.
Here is everything you need to know about the game…
Match Details
- Date: Friday 1 November 2019
- Kick-Off: 7.35pm
- Venue: Kingspan Stadium
- Competition: Guinness PRO14
- Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU, 5th Championship Appearance), AR1: Frank Murphy (IRFU) AR2: Hollie Davidson (SRU), TMO: Neil Patterson (SRU)
Team News
Rob Herring returns from international duty to lead out the Ulstermen, and is one of six changes to the starting XV that defeated Cardiff Blues last weekend. Ulster team: (15-9) Will Addison, Louis Ludik, Matt Faddes, Luke Marshall, Rob Lyttle, Bill Johnston, David Shanahan. (1-8) Jack McGrath, Rob Herring (Capt.), Tom O'Toole, Alan O'Connor, Kieran Treadwell, Matthew Rea, Nick Timoney, Marcell Coetzee. Replacements: Adam McBurney, Kyle McCall, Ross Kane, Sam Carter, Sean Reidy, John Cooney, Angus Curtis, Craig Gilroy. Zebre team: (15-9): Junior Laloifi, Charlie Walker, James Elliott, Tommaso Boni, Mattia Bellini, Carlo Canna, Marcello Violi; (1-8): Danilo Fischetti, Oliviero Fabiani, Giosuè Zilocchi, Ian Nagle, George Biagi, Maxime Mbandà, Giovanni Licata, Renato Giammarioli. Replacements: Luca Bigi, Daniele Rimpelli, Eduardo Bello, Leonard Krumov, Apisai Tauyavuca, Guglielmo Palazzani, Enrico Lucchin, Joshua Renton.
Ticketing
A limited number of tickets are still available, from £17 for adults and £12 for juniors, or £46 for a family of four. To purchase tickets, simply click here or contact the Ulster Rugby Ticket Office for more information – (028) 9049 3222 (option 2). Tickets will be available on the gate from 6.05pm on Friday, but it is recommended to book in advance for best available tickets and to avoid queues.Team Talk
Travel & Security
Useful linksEntertainment
There will be live music with David Wright in The Clubhouse Bar, and the Cool FM Street Team will be providing live entertainment in the Fan Zone. Also in the Fan Zone, you can test your skills with the River Rock Passing Challenge. Junior Season Ticket holders can pop along to the ‘OUR Club’ headquarters (located in Players Lounge at corner of Family Stand / Grandstand), where they can take part in fun activities and meet some of their playing heroes. Outside OUR Club, supporters can measure their tackle power on the inflatable tackle machine! Also in the Players Lounge, you can experience Ulster Rugby’s first virtual reality (VR) project, supported by Bank of Ireland. The 3-minute clip features highlights of the players’ pre-match routine, including the team talk by Rory Best, as well as on-pitch action and reaction from the crowd. View a preview of the VR experience below.Meet the Players
Prior to the game, non-playing squad members will be making appearances at various locations throughout the Fan Zone and and new Kukri Pop-Up Shop (located at the back of the Grandstand). After the game, members of the playing squad will meet supporters, sign autographs and pose for photos at the back of the Grandstand approximately 15 minutes after full-time.