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Ulster finish PRO14 campaign with big win over 13-man Zebre

By PA
(Photo By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Ulster finished their PRO14 season by running in seven tries in a 49-3 victory over a battling Zebre at the Kingspan Stadium.

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The Irish province, already guaranteed second place in Conference A, will have seen this encounter as a valuable outing ahead of Easter Sunday’s Challenge Cup last-16 game at Harlequins.

Skipper Jordi Murphy scored twice as Ulster racked up a second successive bonus-point win, although the complexion of the game was changed by the first-half sending off of Zebre’s replacement hooker Marco Manfredi which reduced the Italians to 13 men for the remainder of the game.

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Stephen Ferris | All Access

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Stephen Ferris | All Access

John Andrew, Michael Lowry, Robert Baloucoune, Rob Lyttle and Bradley Roberts also crossed for Ulster, with John Cooney kicking four conversions and Michael Lowry landing three.

Paolo Pescetto’s first-half penalty was all Zebre could manage in response.

Ulster took the lead in the 12th minute when hooker Andrew got over for his seventh score of the season from a lineout maul which Cooney converted.

A poor kick-off reception led to an immediate response from Michael Bradley’s side, with Pescetto slotting over the resulting penalty.

Despite Ulster coming close they were unable to score again and Zebre applied some pressure on the home side.

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However, Manfredi was shown a red card by referee Andrew Brace in the 34th minute after following through with an elbow onto Cooney’s face which led to uncontested scrums and the Italians reduced to 13 men.

The half ended with Ulster’s second try when they switched the ball wide before Lowry finished off a move from which he handled three times. Cooney’s conversion took Ulster 14-3 in front at the break.

That became 21-3 two minutes after the restart when Baloucoune trotted over and the bonus point was easily secured when Murphy eased his way over for another converted try.

Despite Zebre’s brave efforts and determination not to completely fold, another Ulster score was inevitable and Murphy grabbed it off a lineout maul with Lowry converting.

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Lyttle got over from Lowry’s cross-kick after 66 minutes to increase Ulter’s lead further, with Lowry again adding the extras.

Zebre, to their credit, finished the stronger but were held up twice – with the floodlights failing on the first occasion – before replacement hooker Roberts got over for Ulster’s seventh and final try as the home side broke downfield after lifting the late Italian siege.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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