Zebre 21

Ulster 40

AS EXPECTED, ULSTER finally banked a win and bonus point from this opening Challenge Cup clash, though the five points were by no means certain as Zebre made the province dig deep to collect them.

Leading 19-0 at half-time, and then 26-7, Ulster were certain winners but were without the bonus point until Martin Moloney’s late effort, and their sixth of the day, brought the full reward, though they then needed to defend their line at the end to keep Zebre out.

Ulster made hay in the opening 40 minutes, scoring three tries. Henry Walker on his first start claimed a brace which contributed to their 19-0 lead at the midway point.

The Ulster hooker scored his first on 13 minutes and did so again on the half hour after Nathan Doak’s chip over the top had launched an attack from deep, allowing Robert Baloucoune to take the ball on the bounce.

In between Walker’s scores, Jacob Stockdale had also crossed after another Ulster attack which Zebre simply couldn’t resist.

Ulster ought to have had a fourth only for Doak to have lost the ball when crossing the line.

Zebre started the new half in determined fashion, Giovanni Licata driving over off a scrum with Giacomo da Re converting. Ulster quickly responded through skipper David McCann, whose effort was converted by Doak.

Now leading 26-7, the province failed to initially push on, their cause not helped by Jack Murphy’s 61st-minute yellow card. The Italians took advantage when Patricio Baronio supplied Alessandro Ortombina to score at the posts which allowed Giovanni Montemauri to convert.

Baronio was then shown a yellow card as Ulster battered their way into Zebre’s 22 and Michael Lowry made the corner to bring them back into bonus-point territory.

But Montemauri got on the end of a kick through for Zebre’s third and as the game came to a chaotic finish, Ulster produced their sixth try via Moloney, his effort being superbly converted by Benson who had also done the same after Lowry’s.

Zebre had one more significant attack and a tiring Ulster managed to keep them out after Cormac Izuchukwu’s lineout turnover.

Zebre: G Montemauri, G Bertaccini, M Zanon, D Mazza, T Wade, G da Re, A Fusco (capt), S Pelliccioli, T di Bartolomeo, J Barbotti, F Ruffolo, A Ortombina, G Ferrari, B Stavile Bravin, G Licata.

Replacements: G Ribaldi for di Bartolomeo 51mins, F Pisani for Pelliccioli 51mins, F Minervino for Barbotti 48mins, L Krumov for Ruffolo 60mins, J Botturi for Stavile Bravin 51mins, P Baronio for Fusco 59mins, R Casarin for 70mins, M Belloni for Da Re 56mins.

Yellow card: P Baronio 66mins.

Ulster: J Stockdale, R Baloucoune, D Hawkshaw, J Flannery, Z Ward, J Benson, N Doak, T O’Toole, H Walker, K Knox, H Sheridan, C Izuchukwu, J McKillop, D McCann (capt), J Augustus.

Replacements: T Stewart for Walker 61mins, E O’Sullivan for O’Toole 51mins, S Wilson for Knox 51mins, J Hopes for Sheridan 60mins, M Moloney for McCann 61mins, M Devine for Doak 60mins, J Murphy for Flannery 61 mins, M Lowry for Ward 45mins.

Yellow card: J Murphy 61mins.

Referee: B Connor (WRU).