Match Reports

Match Report | Zebre 14 Ulster 57

16th November 2020
Ulster consolidated their position in Conference A of the Guinness PRO14 with a nine-try demolition of Zebre in Parma on Monday evening. Player-of-the-Match, Marcell Coetzee - on his 50th appearance for the Ulster men - scored a haul of four tries. Ulster started strongly, putting in wave after wave of attacking phases, before Marcell Coetzee marked his 50th appearance for the province by muscling his way over the line after five minutes. Bill Johnston confidently added the conversion. The Italian side was quick to respond, when Pierre Bruno did well to keep hold of the ball from a cross-field kick, and after a TMO check, the try was deemed to be grounded. Antonio Rizzi brought the scores level after 11 minutes. Marcell Coetzee got his second score of the night off the back of a dominant Ulster maul, the back-row doing really well to get the ball down over a pile of Zebre bodies over the line. Zebre had the opportunity to reduce the deficit in the 27th minute through a penalty but Rizzi’s kick was off-target. Ulster immediately went on the attack again, with full-back Michael Lowry going on a superb run down the left wing, his pass sent loose by a Zebre hand, which Stewart Moore gratefully collected to dot down. Marcell Coetzee made it a hat-trick of tries when he snuck through the middle of an advancing Ulster maul for his third score of the evening and Ulster’s four-try bonus point just before the break. Johnston slotted the extras. Ulster continued to turn the screw in the second half, through a well-taken Bill Johnston score in the right-hand corner, then adding the extras to his own try. Luke Marshall was next on the score sheet for Ulster, cutting an excellent line inside to score, and Johnston was again on-target. Zebre got their second try of the evening through Nicoló Casilio, Paolo Pescetto converting. Marcell Coetzee wasn’t yet finished for the night, and the South African once again powered over to get his fourth score in the 59th minute. The flags stayed down for Johnston’s conversion attempt. It was a night to remember for Ethan McIlroy, who on his first Ulster start, got his name on the score sheet as well. The Academy back three collected a long pass from Ian Madigan to score in the left-hand corner. The conversion was just off-target. Ulster’s final score of the evening came through David Shanahan, who ran a lovely support line off Sean Reidy to score under under the posts for Ulster’s ninth try of the game, with Johnston getting the conversion. Full-time score: Zebre 14 Ulster 57

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

SCORERS

Zebre Tries: Pierre Bruno, Nicolò Casilio Cons: Antonio Rizzi, Paolo Pescetto Ulster Tries: Marcell Coetzee (4), Stewart Moore, Bill Johnston, Luke Marshall, Ethan McIlroy, David Shanahan. Cons: Bill Johnston (6)

LINE-UPS

Zebre (15-9) Michelangelo Biondelli; Pierre Bruno, Giulio Bisegni (Capt), Enrico Lucchin, Gabriele Di Giulio; Antonio Rizzi, Joshua Renton; (1-8) Andrea Lovotti, Marco Manfredi, Eduardo Bello; Leonard Krumov, Ian Nagle; Nardo Casolari, Renato Giammarioli, Lorenzo Masselli. Replacements: Massimo Ceciliani, Riccardo Brugnara, Alexandru Tarus, Mick Kearney, Antoine Koffi, Nicolò Casilio, Paolo Pescetto, Junior Laloifi. Ulster (15-9) Michael Lowry, Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, Stewart Moore, Ethan McIlroy, Bill Johnston, Alby Mathewson; (1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, John Andrew, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor, Sam Carter (Capt.), Greg Jones, Jordi Murphy, Marcell Coetzee. Replacements: Adam McBurney, Andrew Warwick, Gareth Milasinovich, David O’Connor, Sean Reidy, David Shanahan, Ian Madigan, Rob Lyttle.

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