Rugby

Ulster know there’s plenty of room to improve after Zebre win

Sterner tests await but there are plenty of positives to take from the trip to Parma

Ulster’s Will Addison makes a break during their win over Zebre. Photo: Massimiliano Carnabuci/Inpho

Michael Sadlier
Mon Oct 4 2021 - 01:00

Zebre 3 Ulster 36

It all panned out in the expected way in Parma with Ulster winning with plenty to spare, though perhaps without delivering on the overall accuracy or dynamism they might have wanted.

Still, six tries scored and none conceded was a reasonable return for a side shorn of Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Robert Baloucoune and John Cooney in the week prior to Saturday's encounter.

It also meant that Ulster have gone two wins from two in the URC while also racking up maximum points in both contests.

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And yet, though this was a largely one-sided affair with little doubt as to who would win, there was a scruffiness about some of Ulster’s work that will definitely need firming up when much more significant challenges present themselves further down the track.

Next up are Zebre’s fellow Italian franchise Benetton and though they are coming to the less than rewarding Kingspan Stadium on a Friday night, new coach Marco Bortolami’s charges have managed to also win both of their opening fixtures albeit narrowly and at home.

As for Saturday, Ulster coach Dan McFarland was in feisty form when it came to publically dissecting Ulster’s work in terms of its overall quality.

“A 36-3 win away from home. What do you want me to say?

“Can we get better? Of course we can. But some of those young fellas put in a really good shift against a side that scored 26 points in 40 minutes (in Zebre’s first game, a 38-26 loss to the Lions).

“We held them to no tries. Second game of the year, was there some disjointed stuff? Yes.”

McFarland went on to say: “When we got to 20-odd points up and the game was dead we stopped playing the way that we’d been playing to get to that point.

“We tried to go from one side of the pitch to the other too quickly. There was space out there but we were getting away from the way that we play and the shape that we play.

“But I’m pretty happy at 36-3,” he added.

It was a contest where Ulster had only led 10-3 at the break before, admittedly, scoring 26 unanswered points in what remained though Zebre did have two players sinbinned - with a slight overlap reducing them to 13 - in what proved a punishing second half for the hosts.

Two tries from Ethan McIlroy, the first on 20 minutes from an assist by Billy Burns and the second right at the end of the opening half when James Hume’s footwork helped provide, put Ulster in a position to push on.

They did so six minutes after the restart when Craig Gilroy - closing in on 200 Ulster appearances - collected Hume’s long pass on the bounce and threw a no-look pass for Will Addison to surge through and touch down with Burns converting.

Ten minutes later and after a lengthy series of scrums near the Italians’ line, which resulted in Ion Neculai’s sinbinning, it was Addison’s turn to throw a lengthy pass Gilroy’s way which again hit the turf before the winger once more flipped the ball to his outside, this time finding Hume who made the line to collect Ulster’s bonus point try.

At 22-3 it was a matter of how many Ulster could score and six minutes later, with the Italians briefly reduced to 13 after Maxime Mbanda was shown yellow, Nick Timoney bagged the first of his brace when, going the direct route, he burrowed over from close to the Zebre line.

Nathan Doak converted and replacement Michael Lowry did likewise when, with two minutes remaining, fellow sub Sean Reidy off-loaded to allow Timoney show his considerable pace and finishing ability to dash in for Ulster’s sixth of the evening.

Ten points from the first two games and though there is considerable room for improvement, Ulster are, so far, doing just fine.

Scorers: Zebre – Pens: Rizzi. Ulster – Tries: McIlroy (2), Addison, Hume, Timoney (2). Cons: Burns, Doak, Lowry.

Zebre: J Laloifi; G Di Giulio, G Bisegni (Capt), T Boni, A Tuivuaka; C Canna, A Fusco; D Fischetti, L Bigi, M Nocera; D Sisi, L Krumov; M Mbanda', P Junior Leavasa, G Licata. Replacements: O Fabiani for Bigi 51mins, A Lovotti for Fischetti 55mins, I Neculai for Nocera 48mins, A Zambonin for Krumov 49mins, R Giammarioli for Sisi 58mins, G Palazzani for Fusco 64mins, A Rizzi for Bisgeni 12mins, J Trulla for Canna 32-41mins and for Boni 63mins. Sinbinned: Neculai 52mins, Mbanda' 61mins.

Ulster: W Addison; C Gilroy, J Hume, S Moore, E McIlroy; B Burns, N Doak; E O'Sullivan, R Herring, T O'Toole; A O'Connor (Capt), M Kearney; Matty Rea, N Timoney, D McCann. Replacements: B Roberts for Herring 60mins, C Reid for O'Sullivan 60mins, M Moore for O'Toole h-t, S Carter for Kearney 48mins, S Reidy for McCann 59mins, D Shanahan for Doak 65mins, M Lowry for Burns 57mins, B Moxham for Addison 66mins.

Referee: S Grove-White (SRU).

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