The UAFC

Zebre v Ulster – KO 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA & SA

Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU, 16th league game)
AR 1: Clara Munarini (FIR), AR 2: Luca Trentin (FIR),
TMO: Wayne Davies (WRU)

Premier Sports 2 / URC TV (Not in UK/SA) / Super Sport (SA) / Mediaset (Italy)

BBC i Player 24 after (Sunday teatime).

This could be a tough enough game for Ulster. The Zebre v Lions game was a cracker and Zebre very nearly came back to win the game which seemed impossible in the first half. They were moving the ball about really well and their maul was very impressive, particularly against a ludicrously large Lions pack. If Ulster fling the ball about in the way they are hoping to do this year, I would expect a high scoring game from both sides.

Zebre 23:

15. Junior Laloifi, 14. Gabriele Di Giulio, 13. Giulio Bisegni (Cap), 12. Tommaso Boni, 11. Asaeli Tuivuaka, 10. Carlo Canna, 9. Alessandro Fusco, 8. Giovanni Licata, 7. Potu Junior Leavasa, 6. Maxime Mbandà, 5. Leonard Krumov, 4. David Sisi, 3. Matteo Nocera, 2. Luca Bigi, 1.Danilo Fischetti

16. Oliviero Fabiani, 17. Andrea Lovotti, 18. Ion Neculai, 19. Andrea Zambonin, 20. Renato Giammarioli, 21. Guglielmo Palazzani, 22. Antonio Rizzi, 23. Jacopo Trulla

Ulster team to play Zebre Rugby, United Rugby Championship Round 2, Saturday 2 October at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, 5.15pm (UK / Irish time) kick-off:

(15-9) Will Addison, Craig Gilroy, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak;

(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor (Capt.), Mick Kearney, Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, David McCann.

Replacements: Brad Roberts, Callum Reid, Marty Moore, Sam Carter, Sean Reidy, David Shanahan, Mike Lowry, Ben Moxham.

Players not considered due to injury or unavailability:

Jack McGrath, Iain Henderson, Luke Marshall, Cormac Izuchukwu, David O’Connor, Jordi Murphy, John Cooney, Stuart McCloskey, Robert Baloucoune, Kieran Treadwell, Ian Madigan, Jacob Stockdale.

Are McCloskey, Stockdale and Baloucoune doing the FIRFU resting stuff or did they all get injured during the week? Either is possible.

Great to see McCann starting and Reid on the bench. The likes of Jones and Warwick will only take you so far.

I hope Nathan has the kicking duties.

Hi Dave

Big Stu, Jacob and Rob all carrying niggles from last week

Dave wrote: ↑Fri Oct 01, 2021 12:14 pm Are McCloskey, Stockdale and Baloucoune doing the FIRFU resting stuff or did they all get injured during the week? Either is possible.

According to the Beeb, Baloucoune has a groin strain, whilst Stockdale and McCloskey are simply stated as ‘ruled out with injuries’! Of course that could be a euphemism for ‘resting’ in order to keep the FIRFU ‘minutes on pitch’ time down.

What has happened to Rob Lyttle? He is not on any list.

Setanta wrote: ↑Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:23 pm What has happened to Rob Lyttle? He is not on any list.

Not selected I am guessing. McIlroy and Moxham ahead of him?

Depth indeed. McIlroy I understand, Moxham, hmmm.

volvo wrote:Hi Dave

Big Stu, Jacob and Rob all carrying niggles from last week

Cheers mate

Does Dan keep getting the Rea brothers confused?

I don't get this fascination with Marcus Rea. Maybe I'm missing something, but he seems well behind McCann and even Mattie, who is no big shakes either. Having said that, Greg Jones isn't the answer either.

Snipe Watson wrote: ↑Fri Oct 01, 2021 5:53 pm I don't get this fascination with Marcus Rea. Maybe I'm missing something, but he seems well behind McCann and even Mattie, who is no big shakes either. Having said that, Greg Jones isn't the answer either.

He has been pretty decent on the few occasions he has actually had. Maybe he will turn out to be worse than Rea str and Jones, but given the number of caps they have been awarded I am surprised Marcus hasn’t had more opportunities.

Personally I’d but Moxham ahead of McIlroy — he has yet convince me as a wing .

The back line could have its work cut out I fear Ulster could have underestimated the opposition.