Zebre vs Ulster

Good interview with former Ballymena and Rotherham coach Andre Bester, who of course still has strong links to Ulster Rugby, talking about Zebre ahead of this weeks game;

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/zebre-doing-best-to-earn-stripes-30612847.html

Don't expect a repeat of Round 2s walkover. Zebre are a trickier team on their home patch and Ulster may have rotated in a few positions where the depth isn't quite as strong as we'd like- like at scrum-half, open side and lock.

Zebre: H Daniller; G Toniolatti, G Bisegni, K Haimona, L Sarto; E Padovani, G Palazzini; M Aguero, A Manici, D Chistolini; Q Geldenhuys (capt), G Biagi; M Bergamasco, F Cristiano, S Vunisa.
Replacements: O Fabiani, A Lovotti, L Leibson, A Ferreira, V Bernabo, A Chillon, G Garcia, L Orquera

Ulster: C Gilroy; T Bowe, D Cave, S McCloskey, M Allen; P Jackson, M Heaney; C Black, R Herring, D Fitzpatrick; N McComb, F van der Merwe; R Wilson (capt), C Ross, N Williams.
Replacements: R Best, R Murphy, W Herbst, L Stevenson, M McComish, P Marshall, I Humphreys, A Trimble.

At Stadio XXV Aprile, 4pm local time (3pm Ireland & UK). Live on BBC NI
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU, 59th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Mateo Liperini, Stefano Penne (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Russell Howell (WRU)
TMO: Carlo Damasco (FIR)

There is a real chance Ulster will get mashed - by Potato Head!

I really don't want to see Chris Henry in this game. Ulster desperately need to be playing backrow alternatives.

With Tuohy and Henderson unavailable Van de man will probably be called upon again but maybe it should be from the bench?

I'm more relaxed with Paul Marshall playing most early season matches as he will get plenty of rest when Ruan is back, and his game improves with pitch-time. I wish he would slow down his game when he is a starter though. He is blessed with acceleration off the mark and he doesn't use that anywhere near enough. If opposition backrows had to cover his breaks, that would hold them long enough off Jackson to allow Marsh to take more time to nail his pass. Currently his frenetic flings in pursuit of high tempo rugby result in three or four rank bad passes every game that in turn sustains the question mark over him.

Heaney is a slightly more accomplished kicker than Marshall but doesn't offer anything more elsewhere, so unless PM is carrying a niggle, I'd rather Paul started.

True about Henry but the guy who has caught the eye in pre-season and in the friendlies is Sean Reidy. He came off injured against Leinster though. If he is fit, then we can give Henry a rest now. If he isn't we might have to wait.

If we have to start anyone else at open side I'd hope we keep Henry on the bench. We all know he can do a job at 6 or 8 if absolutely necessary.

If Zebre remain in the game for more than 50 or 60 minutes there is always a chance of an upset on the books, you just never know what you are going to face with them. We hopefully will be looking to grind them down instead of going for the bonus point try from the off. Last season it was all out going for the tries and it ended up a tight game so calm heads are needed.

The fact we have Funkygibbon officiating yet again is even more reason to keep frosty cool. He above most refs can mean all the difference in a game, I mean look at what he offered up to us the last time with the disallowed try etc.

Look what he did for the O's against all be it, an already beaten Edinburgh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJaTyC1gqpQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M96G5hFkA0

Twice????
What does he have to do to get dropped to schools reffing?

Relatively big news; short term injury replacement at lock

http://ulsterrugby.com/News/LatestNews/TabId/149/ArtMID/793/ArticleID/1865/Ulster-Rugby-sign-lock-Ronald-Raaymakers-on-a-short-term-contract-.aspx

Good news as the Italians have finally agreed terms with a broadcaster, "Nuvolari", we should finally be able to get some pictures from games in Italy.

Ulster team:

15. Craig Gilroy

14. Tommy Bowe

13. Darren Cave

12. Stuart McCIoskey

11. Michael Allen

10. Paddy Jackson

9. Michael Heaney



1. Callum Black

2. Rob Herring

3. Declan Fitzpatrick

4. Neil McComb

5. Franco van der Merwe

6. Roger Wilson (Captain)

7. Clive Ross

8. Nick Williams



Replacements



16. Rory Best

17. Ruaidhri Murphy

18. Wiehahn Herbst

19. Lewis Stevenson

20. Mike McComish

21. Paul Marshall

22. Ian Humphreys

23. Andrew Trimble

Good enough team, rather lightweight up front though. Pretty weak compared to what we can field.

Hopefully good enough to get the Win- we do have a very good bench.

A few players need a bit of game time leading up to the AIs, so I'm happy with that team.  Should be more than enough to get a win, and with Trimble, Humphs and Marshall, coming off the bench we might just have enough to push for the bonus point.
We really need one of Ross or Reidy to make the step up, so looking forward to see how Ross performs in particular.

C'mon Ulsterrrrrr. Warm and sunny in Italy. Zebre in white and black, Ulster in that garish purple kit.

Can't be close this game; Fitzgibbon is on the mother of all terrible streaks when it comes to big decisions on whether or not the try should be awarded. Can't be close enough to let the man in the middle be decisive. Will be tough.

Uh oh, Italian TMO. Have been here before...

Deccie that was feckin' stupid. Very feckin' stupid. I'd like to know why he was bleeding though.

Crazy red card! I think the Zebre hooker tried to gouge him, and so Deccie was just right to deck him.

Disappointed that Ross had to go off. I was really looking forward to see how he played.

Munchkin wrote:Crazy red card! I think the Zebre hooker tried to gouge him, and so Deccie was just right to deck him.

You can't do it. He knows exactly what happened against Saracens and Leinster last year.

Nothing ruins a game like a red card.

Saracens? He didn't take a man out in the air. He just thumped him, and rightly so

He got himself sent off when there was no need to do anything of the sort. He's probably just taken himself down the pecking order a place or two. He's almost definitely cost us a chance of the bonus point win. Now it's just about the 4 points, which is frustrating. Glasgow and Leinster got 4 tries last night against better teams than this. He's just sabotaged our chances of doing the same.

You throw a punch in retaliation in Italy, the TMO will not even show the angle of the first offence if there even is one. We've been screwed by Italian TMOs before. Do not make it so simple for them.

He was gouged. I don't blame Deccie at all. It is the Zebre hooker that should have been sent off, and hopefully he will be cited.

Maybe Nick needs less of the back chat with the ref though.

Reacting is so bloody stupid. 15 vs 15 playing rugby big advantage us, they turn it into a scrap its 50/50. Unforgivably stupid stuff from Fitzpatrick.

It is an understandable reaction. We're not going to agree, Notch.

Munchkin wrote:It is an understandable reaction. We're not going to agree, Notch.

Someone gouges you you need to be playing it up to get the refs attention. This is not the amateur era. You react the decision goes against you. Who the feck does that help?

I mean something definitely went on in there and Deccie didn't just start bleeding round his eye on his own but at the same time Deccie should not have reacted however I have had thing slike this on me before a spear tackle and an attempted eye gouge and I can tell you I reacted the exact same way each time so it's not always easy to control your emotions when someone actually tries to blind you and yes he is a professional but he is also a human and when some does that to you the natural reaction is to do what deccie done so I can understand it he was just unfortunate that nothing could be seen cos of where Bergamasco was.

It's an instinctive reaction. The ref did ask if there was provocation, but the Italian TMO claimed there was none at all. If provocation was proved then a yellow for Deccie, and a red for the Zebre player would have been fair.

Munchkin wrote:It's an instinctive reaction. The ref did ask if there was provocation, but the Italian TMO claimed there was none at all. If provocation was proved then a yellow for Deccie, and a red for the Zebre player would have been fair.

When you think back to Italian TMOs in Italy we've had before, everyone knows even if the TMO has the best will in the world the host broadcaster is not going to give him the opportunity to see that.

In fairness on that one I don't think it could be seen at all the angle they had was the best you could see something went on but not what Bergamasco was really in the road

I think what annoyed me is that although you couldn't actually see any contact, what you could see was the hookers hand moving up to Deccies head, just before Deccie punched him. With the resulting injury around Deccies eye it is obvious what went on.

True Munchkin I think we all know what happened unfortunately the ref can't penalise on the basis of probability something the 2 probs knew that he could not be seen in there.

That's true. The officials can't, although the Italian officials were making a meal out of it. I detest eye gouging. Hopefully the citing commission will be asked to have a look at it.

That was shocking defence from Ulster. Absolutely terrible.

Really was shocking defence we got lucky with the foot in touch

Shocking stuff from Ulster so far.

For god's sake, get Nick Williams and Rob Herring off the pitch.

We are lucky there too cos that was held up

Hmmm... looked forward to me.

Feck sake. Kick off was an 1hr 20 mins ago and we still have 35 mins on the clock.

Abysmal Ulster.

Now Rory wants a go!

That was frantic. Good steal from Best.

Settle down lads stop with the quick lineouts and stuff we lost about 30 metres there

Great work by Stevenson there!

We should have brought Ross on instead of that clown McComish!

Good move, now we must run the gauntlet of the hometown TMO.

Can the Gibbon not give anything without checking with the TMO

Must be feeling the pressure after last weeks disasters.

Unbelievable!

TMO

I wish I was surprised by that, but I'm not at all.

To say I am fuming at Carlo De Masco right now would be an understatement same problem every single time with this league

Did anyone see the Zebre - Blues game from last season? TMO played a starting role then as well!

No-one but ourselves to blame. I said at the start with the officiating team we couldn't afford it to be a close game. Hate being right sometimes.

This has been complacent, indisciplined, inaccurate and unacceptable from Ulster regardless of the TMOs awful calls.

GLove39 wrote:Did anyone see the Zebre - Blues game from last season? TMO played a starting role then as well!

Not at all unusual in Italy. Ulster have felt the sting of the Italian TMO in past seasons as well.