Having suffered back-to-back defeats, fourth-placed Ulster know they have to start delivering results as the teams below them fight for every inch in the race to reach the GUINNESS PRO12 play-offs. Zebre are the visitors tonight to Kingspan Stadium.
GUINNESS PRO12: Friday, March 4
ULSTER (4th) v ZEBRE (11th), Kingspan Stadium, 7.35pm (live BBC 2 Northern Ireland)
Team News: There are four changes to the Ulster team that faced Cardiff Blues last Sunday afternoon, one of which is Rob Herring who to captain the province from hooker. He is joined in the front row by loosehead prop Kyle McCall and tighthead Ricky Lutton.
The rest of the pack is unchanged, with Peter Browne and Franco van der Merwe paired together in the second row and Robbie Diack, Chris Henry and Nick Williams selected again in the loose forward positions.
Rory Scholes comes into the back-line and is named on the right wing, with Craig Gilroy moving to full-back and Jacob Stockdale retained on the left flank.
With Sam Arnold unavailable due to a hamstring injury, Stuart Olding will switch from full-back to inside centre. He will be joined in midfield by Luke Marshall, who signed a contract extension with the province earlier this week. Ruan Pienaar and Paddy Jackson are retained at half-back.
Paul Marshall has overcome a virus to be selected on the bench, while Sam Windsor and Darren Cave will also provide back-line cover. John Andrew, Callum Black, Andrew Warwick, Roger Wilson and Sean Reidy are the forward replacements.
Tickets for the Ulster v Zebre round 17 fixture are still available via www.ulsterrugby.com/buytickets.
Meanwhile, Zebre head coach Gianluca Guidi has made six personnel changes to the side that lost 27-10 at home to Leinster last time out.
Three Italy internationals – centre Giulio Bisegni, out-half Edoardo Padovani and prop Dario Chistolini – come back into the starting line-up following the third round of the RBS 6 Nations. Bisegni pairs up with permit player Tommaso Castello (Rugby Calvisano) in midfield.
Loosehead prop Andrea de Marchi and tighthead Chistolini are reintroduced into the front row, and Emiliano Caffini links up with Johan Meyer and Federico Ruzza in the back row. Ruzza, a try scorer against Leinster, makes the move to number 8.
ULSTER: Craig Gilroy; Rory Scholes, Luke Marshall, Stuart Olding, Jacob Stockdale; Paddy Jackson, Ruan Pienaar; Kyle McCall, Rob Herring (capt), Ricky Lutton, Peter Browne, Franco van der Merwe, Robbie Diack, Chris Henry, Nick Williams.
Replacements: John Andrew, Callum Black, Andrew Warwick, Roger Wilson, Sean Reidy, Paul Marshall, Sam Windsor, Darren Cave.
ZEBRE: Mils Muliaina; Giulio Toniolatti, Giulio Bisegni, Tommaso Castello, Kayle van Zyl; Edoardo Padovani, Fabio Semenzato; Andrea de Marchi, Oliviero Fabiani, Dario Chistolini, Quintin Geldenhuys, Marco Bortolami (capt), Emiliano Caffini, Johan Meyer, Federico Ruzza.
Replacements: Emiliano Coria, Guillermo Roan, Pietro Ceccarelli, Gideon Koegelenberg, Filippo Cristiano, Luke Burgess, Ian McKinley, Ulrich Beyers.
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Gary Conway, Paul Haycock (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Kevin Beggs (Ireland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ulster to win: 1/80; Draw: 70/1; Zebre to win: 20/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Les Kiss (Ulster) – “We’re really disappointed with what we’ve delivered over the past three or four weeks. We’ve worked it back to a couple of key areas. We’re just missing a level of excellence in certain skills sets.
“But we know what we are capable of and if we can get those things right, I believe we can deliver and make sure we are in a position to make Europe but also make the PRO12 semi-finals.”
Stuart Olding (Ulster) – “We were massively disappointed with ourselves (in Cardiff). We just hadn’t control of the game and let them in for two late tries. The boys were beaten up about it, and after two successive defeats it’s not the position you want to be in this time of the season.
“But we are still in fourth and in a play-off position, now we hope we can crack on, starting against Zebre. At least we are at home which is a bonus when you want to get back on the horse again.
“But Zebre can be very dangerous, especially from broken field rugby, and if you don’t do your basics right, they will punish you.”
Top Scorers – 2015/16 GUINNESS PRO12: Ulster – Points: Paddy Jackson 64; Tries: Craig Gilroy 6; Zebre – Points: Carlo Canna 47; Tries: Dries van Schalkwyk 6
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Sunday, November 18, 2012 – Zebre 25 Ulster 27, Stadio XXV Aprile
Friday, February 15, 2013 – Ulster 26 Zebre 3, Ravenhill
Saturday, November 30, 2013 – Zebre 11 Ulster 19, Stadio XXV Aprile
Friday, December 20, 2013 – Ulster 13 Zebre 6, Ravenhill
Friday, September 12, 2014 – Ulster 33 Zebre 13, Kingspan Stadium
Saturday, September 27, 2014 – Zebre 13 Ulster 6, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
MATCH FACTS:
– Ulster have slipped to successive defeats, to the Scarlets and Cardiff Blues, but have not lost three in-a-row in the same season in the GUINNESS PRO12 since the 2011/12 campaign
– The Ulstermen have lost twice in Belfast this season and have not lost three at home in an entire PRO12 campaign since 2009/10
– Zebre have succumbed to five straight defeats since their victory at Worcester Warriors in the European Challenge Cup on January 16
– Zebre’s only victory outside of Italy in the PRO12 came when they visited Cardiff Blues in September 2013
– The two sides have met on six previous occasions with Zebre’s only triumph being in their most recent encounter at Parma in September 2014
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