Ulster Rugby vs Zebre

LEADING THE FIELD

Welcome to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, as we look forward to an exciting evening of PRO12 Rugby action with the visit of Italian side, Zebre Rugby. I am delighted to welcome you as Ulster Rugby look to extend their winning streak to five games in a row. With a game in hand, another win would see Ulster move up to fourth in the table, leapfrogging the Scarlets.

I would like to welcome the Zebre team and travelling fans who are a passionate group, and will I’m sure, put up a tough fight.

Finally, on behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the Ulster Rugby squad and management team every success this evening. To you the fans, enjoy the game, lead the way and help ensure this is another evening to remember.

Pat Freeman Divisional Managing Director

CONTENTS

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME GUINNESS PRO12 WELCOME

3 4 7 8

TONIGHT'S MASCOTS

PETER NELSON

ROGER WILSON Q&A

13 17

PHOTO BOOTH

SCHOOLS' CUP PREVIEW ULSTER SQUAD PROFILES

22 24 28 29 33 34 38 43 46 49 53 55 57 58 59 60 51

ULSTER TEAM

DOUBLE SIDED POSTER

ZEBRE TEAM

ZEBRE SQUAD PROFILES

NIALL MALONE

TONIGHT'S GROUPS

ROD NAWN GUEST ARTICLE CENTRA HALF TIME RUGBY

URSC CLUB NEWS OUR CLUB NEWS

ULSTER RUGBY VALUES STADIUM INFORMATION

MATCH PREVIEW

FIXTURES

THANK YOU

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PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

In the Guinness PRO12, the Ulster team are hitting a good run of form having won their last four matches, three with bonus points. Whilst the team were unable to get the elusive bonus point last week in their victory over Treviso, the side did well in appalling weather conditions. This week’s opposition are Zebre who have proved themselves to be difficult opponents in the past. Ulster are currently fifth in the table with a game in hand on the top four teams. A win this evening will see the side overtake Scarlets and move to fourth and into play-off contention. There is still a challenging schedule of games to come however and it will be important that Ulster continue this recent run of good form. The Ulster A team play Munster A in their B&I Cup quarter-final on Sunday at Independent Park, Cork. The A team have had an excellent season so far and we wish them all the best for this important game. In domestic rugby, Armagh RFC recently held a blitz involving 130 Primary School pupils as part of a rugby development programme funded by the Department for Communities. This initiative is also part of the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup legacy programme. The event was a culmination of a six-week engagement with five schools who had no previous rugby experience - Armagh CBS PS, St. Patrick’s PS, Saints & Scholars PS, St. Malachy’s PS and Mount St. Catherine’s PS. The programme is primarily aimed at increasing participation in girls’ rugby and there was a strong female presence at the event. Each school received training sessions at their school, culminating with the blitz. The pupils also went on a tour of Kingspan Stadium and The Nevin Spence Centre. As a result of this, Armagh RFC now have a stand-alone Girls’ U12 team. Carrickfergus RFC and Larne RFC are also involved in the initiative. Well done to all those involved. As reported last week, our supporters have been really getting behind the team in recent matches, which has been a great source of inspiration for the players – let’s keep it going tonight! I hope everyone enjoys the game tonight as well as the great facilities we have here at Kingspan Stadium and remember - “Stand Up For The Ulstermen.” John McKibbin President IRFU (Ulster Branch) It gives me great pleasure as President of the IRFU Ulster Branch to welcome everyone to Kingspan Stadium for this evening’s rearranged match in the Guinness PRO12 Championship. In particular, I am very pleased to welcome the Zebre team along with their officials and supporters. PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH 2016/17 OFFICERS John McKibbin President Graffin Parke Senior Vice President Stephen Elliott Junior Vice President Denis Gardiner Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd Honorary Treasurer Greg Irwin Competitions Secretary EXECUTIVE TEAM Shane Logan Chief Executive Chris Webster Domestic Rugby Manager Audrey Robinson Financial Controller Fiona Hampton Head of Sales & Marketing Les Kiss Director of Rugby

Kingspan Stadium, 134 Mount Merrion Avenue Belfast, BT6 0FT T +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby.com

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Managing Director, PRO12 Rugby Welcome

The final hurdles of a dramatic Guinness PRO12 Championship season are approaching and the competition to break into the top four has never been so intense. Last weekend’s results have opened the door for Ulster Rugby to push on into the top four for the first time since Round 11 and if Les Kiss’ men can keep up their rich vein of form then everyone will mark them as title contenders. Indeed, a top-four finish for Ulster would see them reach the Final Series for the fifth time and already their Round 22 fixture with rivals Leinster Rugby looks like being one of the fiercest battles on Super Saturday. Of course, the pinnacle for all of our clubs is to reach the Guinness PRO12 Final which will be held in Dublin on May 27 and if that game lives up to the action we’ve seen so far this season, then it’s going to be a classic. Attacking play has long been the hallmark of the Guinness PRO12 but this year it’s gone on to such a new level that we’re in danger of burning out our scoreboards. In Round 16, Glasgow Warriors’ Peter Murchie was responsible for scoring the 500th try of the campaign and by the time the final whistle had been blown on Round 17 we stood at 532 tries. That is a staggering total, which is further underlined when you take into account that we didn’t pass the 500-mark until Round 20 last season. What it means is that in every Guinness PRO12 match you’re likely to see at least five tries and 43 points scored, which is as good a reason as any to watch the action in person. That attacking intent has been backed up by a positive approach by our teams. Out of the 4,287 points scored so far only 18% have come from penalties which indicates that our clubs are more interested in kicking to the corner than pointing to the posts. Our fans certainly seem to be enjoying it, too, because we’ve seen a significant rise in attendances this season with well over three quarters of a million supporters coming through the gates in the first 17 Rounds. Of course, tonight’s action sees Ulster pick up on the fixture that was due to be played before Christmas and with Zebre Rugby’s young team coming to Kingspan Stadium, I’m sure there will be a lot of enthusiasm and excitement out on the pitch. Ulster will have to navigate a tough end of year schedule to reach the Final Series, but history proves that the Province always produce their best form at this time of year and I’m sure they’ll contribute to a thrilling climax this season. The competition to claim the Championship title is ramping up with intensity every week but you still have time to guarantee your place at the Guinness PRO12 Final at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on May 27. It promises to be an unmissable event and prices start at just €35. Ticket sales have been incredibly strong so far and you can avoid missing out by logging onto www.ticketmaster.ie to get yours.

Enjoy the game, Martin Anayi

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27 MAY 2017 I AVIVA STADIUM

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TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

MASCOTS

SAM JOHNSTON (11) Sam is from Larne and attends Larne High School. He plays rugby at school and also enjoys rowing at Cairndhu Rowing Club. Sam’s favourite player is Charles Piutau and when he grows up he would like to be a professional rugby commentator.

JACK ROUNDTREE (12) Jack is from Armagh and attends Markethill High School. He plays rugby at school and also enjoys playing Playstation and football. Jack’s favourite player is Rory Best and when he grows up he would like to play rugby for Ulster.

Suppliers of fresh produce to the Ulster Rugby team.

Official suppliers of fresh produce to the Ulster Rugby team.

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"IT WAS TOUGH WATCHING FROM THE SIDE-LINES, YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE OUT THERE HELPING THE BOYS OUT, SO IT WAS GREAT TO GET BACK OUT THERE LAST MONTH."

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PETER NELSON RECOVERY… RESURGENCE… RESULT

Having dislocated his left midfoot in December 2015, it has been a long road to recovery for out-half Pete Nelson: “It was 14 months in total, which started with a month off my feet doing very little,” says Pete. “From there, it was all about getting back into walking and gradually picking up my pace into running and learning that gait cycle again. Then the focus was getting strength in the foot and building up speed and endurance and then into training and changing direction. The last step was integrating back into the playing squad and then finally getting back into the match day squad. It was a long process and difficult to work towards such a long-term goal at times but we got there in the end. It was tough watching from the side-lines, you always want to be out there helping the boys out, so it was great to get back out there last month.” Pete has been named in the starting line- up for Ulster’s resurgent victories over Edinburgh, Glasgow, Zebre and Treviso: “I am delighted to be back in the team, this is a difficult enough time with boys away at the Six Nations, so I knew if I could be back fit around this time, that there may be opportunities and I am really pleased to have four games on the bounce under my belt. “After Edinburgh and Glasgow, the buzz in the squad definitely picked up; two wins on the trot really helped to push us in the right direction. We were disappointed at the weekend not picking up the bonus point against Treviso but we are still going in the right direction and those four wins are exactly what we needed to pick up momentum.” Since returning from injury, Pete has occupied a half-back spot alongside fan favourite Ruan Pienaar, gaining invaluable experience from the Springbok: “Playing with him has been brilliant. Ruan is world class, everyone knows that. He really helps me out and takes the pressure off at times. Whether that’s kicking to the corner or organising the forwards a bit more, it just gives me a bit more time and a little more space to organise things.”

PETER NELSON

Like many others, Pete is under no illusion that his spot on the team is secure, but he thrives on the competition: “It’s exactly what you need in a squad that wants to go on and win. If there wasn’t competition you might be resting on your laurels, so it’s important in every training session and in every match that you are stepping up and pushing hard because if you’re not, there’s someone there ready to take your place. Just look at Jacob (Stockdale), who’s on fire at the minute, it’s great to see those guys coming through the Academy system and it’s brilliant for the future of Ulster, it also keeps the more experienced guys on their toes.” This weekend’s fixture presents another opportunity to pick up a bonus point win against an Italian side missing key personnel due to the penultimate weekend of the Six Nations: “This game is another step to hopefully get us to the top four. So it’s important we go out there and put in another big performance, we will be looking for the win and five points but we will take it minute by minute and work on our processes and hopefully break them down. “We have watched the footage from two weeks ago, we have assessed what we can do better and the opportunities that we missed. We let them in for a few soft tries so defensively we are sharpening up. It was tough to play last weekend against Treviso due to the weather but we will look to eradicate any small errors and hopefully under better conditions, we can throw the ball around, score a few tries and get the result we all know we are capable of.”

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ROGER WILSON Q&A

NICK NAME? Pigeon FAVOURITE SUBJECT AT SCHOOL? Geography IF YOU COULD BE A PROFESSIONAL IN ANOTHER SPORT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Golf – because of the money, lifestyle and it’s easy on the body! MOST EXCITING THING YOU HAVE DONE? Shark diving FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION? Capri – beautiful, good food, plenty to do and not too busy MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM YOU HAVE BOUGHT? Engagement ring! HOW DO YOU RELAX ON YOUR DOWN TIME? Walk the dog FAVOURITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME? Forrest Gump IF A FILM WAS MADE ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY YOU? Liam Neeson – seems like a cool bloke IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHICH PLAYER WOULD YOU LEAST LIKE TO BE STRANDED WITH? Dave Shanahan – not much meat on him! DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? Bernese Mountain Dog called Nacho Favourite – Gym Least – Scrums WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT PLAYING FOR ULSTER? Celebrating in the changing rooms after a big win IF YOU WEREN’T A PROFESSIONAL RUGBY PLAYER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING AS A PROFESSION? Pilot – travelling the world WHAT ARE YOUR LEAST AND MOST FAVOURITE TRAINING ELEMENTS?

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ROGER FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @ROGERWILSON8

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GUINNESS PRO12 PREVIEW ROUND 9 REARRANGED

Ulster Rugby has the opportunity to return to the top four of the Guinness PRO12 Championship table for the first time since Round 11 when they take on Zebre Rugby tonight.

TOP PERFORMERS ROUND 17

The game was originally set to take place on November 25, but was postponed due to adverse weather conditions. What's at Stake A victory of any kind will put Les Kiss' team into the top four and above Scarlets with just five rounds of play remaining and provide Ulster with the opportunity to reach the Championship knock-out stages for the fifth time. Scarlets lead Ulster by just one point in the table and not only would victory put the men from Kingspan Stadium into fourth, they would close the gap on Munster Rugby, who they play in Round 20. This will be the first of three remaining home fixtures for Ulster in their last six games, however, they still have to play the top three teams in the Championship – Leinster Rugby, Ospreys Rugby & Munster – and those fixtures will have a big impact on whether or not they reach the Final Series.

ROUND 9 PREVIEW

METRES GAINED Stuart Olding CARRIES Marcell Coetzee ULSTER RUGBY DEFENDERS BEATEN Stuart Olding TACKLES MADE Rob Herring OFFLOADS Marcell Coetzee TURNOVERS WON Kieran Treadwell METRES GAINED Tommaso Boni CARRIES Gideon Koegelenberg DEFENDERS BEATEN Mattia Bellini ZEBRE RUGBY TACKLES MADE Oliviero Fabiani OFFLOADS Serafin Bordoli TURNOVERS WON Tommaso Castello Jared Payne Serafin Bordoli Gideon Koegelenberg

86

24

5 5

12

3

2

22

13

2 2 2

15

2

2

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RBAI AND METHODY SET FOR SCHOOLS’ CUP SHOWDOWN

The Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Methodist College Belfast will meet in the 2017 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Final, following semi-final wins over Ballymena Academy and Belfast Royal Academy respectively last week.

The ST. Patrick’s Day showdown can certainly be considered a clash of the ‘top two’, with the Belfast rivals having lifted the famous trophy on each of the last five years; Methody in 2012, 2013 and 2014, then RBAI in 2015 and 2016. The Schools’ Cup, which has the distinction of being the world’s second-oldest rugby competition, was first played for in 1876 when The Royal School Armagh defeated RBAI 3-0 in the inaugural final. The competition has been played every year since and Methody currently sit top of the roll of honour with 35 outright and 2 shared titles, while RBAI are in close pursuit on 31 outright and 4 shared titles. ROAD TO THE FINAL… Both RBAI and Methody began their Schools’ Cup campaign on Saturday 4th February in Round 4. RBAI made an early statement of intent when they hosted Ballyclare at Osborne Park, running in eight tries in a 54-0 win. Niall Armstrong, Michael Lowry, Rhys O’Donnell and Zak Davidson all touched down in the first half to give Belfast Inst a commanding 28-0 lead at the interval, while further second-half tries from Lowry, Conor McCormack, James Hume and Angus Adair sealed the comfortable win. Methody were made to work much harder in their first outing when they travelled to Down High School where they eventually emerged 15-8 winners. The visitors made the brighter start and a driven maul set up Paul Kerr to touch down for a try which he converted himself. Down High responded positively and forced a penalty which Marcus Graham slotted over before William Annett grabbed a try to put the hosts 8-7 ahead at half-time. Kerr added a penalty midway through the second half to edge Methody back in front then number 8 Thomas Gallagher stormed in for try to secure the 15-8 win. Campbell College, Belfast and RBAI played out a re-enactment of the 2016 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup final when they met at Fox’s Field in the quarter-final of the 2017 competition. It

was Campbell who opened the scoring via a Will Davis penalty but RBAI responded with a Joseph Finnegan try to go in 5-3 ahead at the break. In the early stages of the second half, RBAI soaked up wave after wave of Campbell attacking pressure but the Belfast Inst line somehow remained intact. In the final minutes of the game Lowry released Finnegan to get in for his second unconverted try and seal a hard fought 10-3 win. Methody were once again on the road in the quarter-finals, this time away to The Royal School Armagh where they were made to work all the way for a narrow 28-24 win, in what was a fantastic exhibition of schoolboy rugby. The RS Armagh team controlled the game for long periods of the first half and built up a deserved 15-7 lead after the opening 35 minutes thanks to tries from Zak Thompson and Nicholas Jennings plus five points from the boot of Glen Faloon, while Thomas Gallagher got the first of his three tries for Methody. In the second half, the home side extended their lead to 21-7 thanks to two further Faloon penalties before Methody captain Matty Loane kick-started his team’s resurgence with a try under the posts. Faloon responded with another penalty to make it 24-14 but that would prove to be the Royal School’s last real scoring opportunity as Methody put in a storming final quarter with Gallagher touching down twice more to edge out the win for the visitors. In the first of the Kingspan Stadium semi-finals RBAI were faced with what looked like a tough challenge versus Ballymena Academy, but the holders continued their title defence quest with an impressive 41-8 victory. The Ballymena men did start the game brightly with some pressure inside the RBAI ’22 but, not for the first time this year, the defence remained resolute. Zak Davidson got the opening try for RBAI when he took advantage

of a Ballymena knock-on to sprint in from 60 metres. Niall Armstrong added another try which was converted by James Hume to make it 12-0 at half-time, with Ballymena left to rue some missed chances and unforced errors. Belfast Inst got off to a flying start in the second half with Armstrong squeezing over in the left corner for his second DANSKE BANK SCHOOLS' FINAL CUP PREVIEW

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DANSKE BANK SCHOOLS' CUP FINAL PREVIEW

RBAI 1st XV Squad 2016/17

MCB 1st XV Squad 2016/17

try of the game just ninety seconds after the restart. A Bruce Houston penalty got Ballymena up and running on the scoreboard but tries from David McCann, Yasser Omar and Michael Lowry opened up a 22-3 lead for RBAI. Number 8 Azur Allison touched down for Ballymena’s sole try but Armstrong got in under the posts to complete his hat-trick before prop Callum Reid bustled over from close range in the last play of the game to round off the win. The following day, Methody and Belfast Royal Academy met at Kingspan Stadium, and it was Methody who booked their place in the final thanks largely to Paul Kerr, who repeated the feat of Niall Armstrong with a semi-final hat-trick of his own. Methody got off to a dream start when centre Kerr slid over after just three minutes for the opening score of the game. BRA captain Conor McAuley responded with a penalty but Kerr answered with his second try just a few minutes later before added the conversion plus a penalty of his own. Several phases of BRA possession was rewarded with another McAuley penalty but it was Methody once more who added another try under the sticks from James

McConnell. A third penalty for McAuley reduced the deficit to 22-9 at the interval. Johnny Jordan touched down for the first try of the second half before BRA lock Bradley Luney barged over for his side’s first try. Thomas Gallagher made the most of a mix-up in the BRA defence as he pounced on a loose ball to touch down, while Kerr completed his hat-trick on 68 minutes with a very well taken finish. While the result was beyond doubt, BRA flanker, Matthew Dalton, capped off a fine individual performance with a consolation try as the clock edged towards seventy minutes. McAuley added the conversion as the referee blew the full-time whistle, confirming a 37-21 win for the Methodist College team. Tickets for the 2017 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Final are available now at www.ulsterrugby.com/buytickets Supporters are advised to purchase early to avoid match-day queues and make the most of advance purchase discounts, including special family deals.

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MARK BEST

JOHN ANDREW

RODNEY AH YOU

Centre 01.04.94 182cm 94kg

Hooker 26.05.93 181cm 101kg

Prop 27.10.88

187cm 129kg 12 3

— —

24 —

TOMMY BOWE

CALLUM BLACK

RORY BEST

Wing 22.02.84 190cm 100kg 150 68

Prop 25.02.86 180cm 116kg 123 — Centre 05.04.87 184cm 95kg 192 11 No. 8 12.11.85 195cm 110kg 187 2

Hooker 15.08.82

178cm 106kg

195 102

DARREN CAVE

PETER BROWNE 2nd Row 25.10.87 201cm 116kg

AARON CARINS

Scrum half 07.10.92 183cm 85kg 1 —

31 —

MARCELL COETZEE

JOHN DONNAN 2nd Row 16.02.93 197cm 115kg

ROBBIE DIACK

Flanker 08.05.91 191cm 112kg 3 SA 28

— —

ULSTER SQUAD 2016/17 24 LORCAN DOW Back Row 27.01.95 190cm 108kg 1 — Wing 11.03.91 183cm 90kg 143 10 Prop 07.05.88 180cm 120kg 49 — CHRIS HENRY Back Row 17.10.84 191cm 105kg 161 24

IAIN HENDERSON 2nd Row 21.02.92 199cm 117kg

CRAIG GILROY

71 30

ROB HERRING

WIEHAHN HERBST

Hooker 27.04.90 185cm 102kg 114 1

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CONOR JOYCE

PADDY JACKSON

BRETT HERRON

Back Row 05.07.93

Out half 05.01.92 180cm 87kg 118 22

Fly half 13.11.95 184cm 92kg 7 —

192cm 106kg 6 —

RICKY LUTTON

LOUIS LUDIK Full back 10.08.86 182cm 92kg 54 —

ROSS KANE

Prop 26.02.86 182cm 114kg 57 —

Prop 14.10.94 180.5cm 116kg

ULSTER SQUAD 2016/17

11 —

LUKE MARSHALL

PAUL MARSHALL

ROB LYTTLE

Centre 03.03.91 181cm 97kg 98 9 Centre 06.08.92 193cm 113kg 55 1

Scrum half 26.07.85 172cm 80kg 191 3

Prop 01.02.92 177cm 111kg 35 — Centre 03.03.91 181cm 97kg 8 — Back Row 07.04.90 193cm 108kg 2 —

KYLE McCALL

STUART McCLOSKEY

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS

Out half 13.04.97 179cm 80kg

— —

PETER NELSON Full back 05.10.92 180cm 88kg 35 — JARED PAYNE Full back 13.10.85 186cm 97kg

JONNY MURPHY

STEPHEN MULHOLLAND

Hooker 02.06.92

178cm 106kg 1 —

STUART OLDING

ALAN O’CONNOR 2nd Row 10.09.92 197cm 114kg 33 —

Centre 11.03.93 178cm 93kg 57 4

75 19

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Should’ve gone to Specsavers

Official partner of the Guinness PRO12 referees

©2015 Specsavers. All rights reserved.

RUAN PIENAAR

CHARLES PIUTAU

MATTHEW REA 2nd Row 21.09.93 193cm 110kg

Back Row 05.10.89 182cm 105kg 53 1 Scrum half 10.03.84 187cm 90kg 135 SA 88 Prop 19.08.90 184cm 110kg 4 — Wing 20.10.84 185cm 97kg 213 69 Back Row 21.09.81 190cm 106kg 219 1

Back Row 14.06.89 193cm 105kg 49 — Utility back 31.10.91 183cm 102kg 17 NZ 16

— —

DAVE SHANAHAN

SEAN REIDY

CLIVE ROSS

Scrum half 20.06.93 174cm 90kg

ULSTER SQUAD 2016/17

12 —

JOHNNY SIMPSON

JACOB STOCKDALE

KIERAN TREADWELL 2nd Row 11.06.95 198cm 121kg

Wing 04.03.96 195cm 96kg

18 —

15 —

ANDY WARWICK

ANDREW TRIMBLE

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE 2nd Row 15.03.83 198cm 117kg 71 SA 1

Prop 12.03.91 179cm 110kg 68 —

ROGER WILSON

Keep up to date with the latest player profiles, career stats and player news at www.ulsterrugby.com . PLAYER STATS

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15

1

JARED PAYNE

CALLUM BLACK

14

2

CRAIG GILROY

ROB HERRING (C)

13

3

WIEHAHN HERBST

JACOB STOCKDALE

12

4

KIERAN TREADWELL

LUKE MARSHALL

ULSTER RUBGY

11

5

ALAN O'CONNOR

CHARLES PIUTAU

6

10

ROBBIE DIACK

STUART OLDING

7

9

CHRIS HENRY

RUAN PIENAAR

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23

J ANDREW A WARWICK R AH YOU F VAN DER MERWE

C ROSS P MARSHALL P NELSON JOWENS

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MARCELL COETZEE

TODAY’S OFFICIALS

REFEREE IAN DAVIES WRU, 58TH COMPETITION GAME ASSISTANT REFEREES ALED EVANS WRU | DERMOT BLAKE IRFU CITING COMMISSIONER PETER FERGUSON IRFU TMO NEIL HENNESSY WRU

TEAMS NOT CONFIRMED AT TIME OF PRINT

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15

1

BRUNO POSTIGLIONI

DION BERRYMAN

14

2

OLIVIERO FABIANI

MATTIA BELLINI

ZEBRE RUGBY

13

3

THOMAS BONI

DARIO CHISTOLINI

12

4

TOMASSO CASTELLO

QUINTIN GELDENHUYS

11

5

LLOYD GREEFF

VALERIO BERNABO (C)

6

10

SERAFIN BORDOLI

MATTEO CORNELLI

7

9

GIDEON KOEGELENBERG

GUGLIELMO PALAZZANI

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 T D'APICE A DE MARCHI B LE ROUX J FURNO

20 21 22 23

M ARCHETTI C ENGELBRECHT M PRATICHETTI G ROAN

8

FEDERICO RUZZA

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FAIALAGA AFAMASAGA

MATTEO ARCHETTI

MAICOL AZZOLINI

Flyhalf 03.05.89 165cm 78kg

Lock 01.03.95 188cm 104kg

Scrum half 15.10.95 180cm 85kg

SIMONE BALOCCHI

KURT BAKER

MATTIA BELLINI

Prop / Lock 26.07.94 191cm 91kg

Fullback 07.10.1988 185cm 92 k

Back 08.02.94 193cm 93kg

DION BERRYMAN

DENNIS BERGAMIN

VALERIO BERNABO

Fullback 20.04.86 179cm 87kg

Back row 19.02.96 183cm 105kg

Lock 03.03.84 198cm 110kg

GEORGE BIAGI

GIULIO BISEGNI

THOMAS BONI

Lock 04.10.1985 199cm 115kg

Centre 04.04.92 180cm 83kg

Centre 15.01.93

187cm 100kg

ZEBRE RUGBY 2016/17

CARLO CANNA

SERAFIN BORDOLI

TOMMASO CASTELLO

Flyhalf 25.08.92 191cm 93kg

Flyhalf 15.03.95 190cm 93kg

Centre 14.08.91 184cm 100kg

PIETRO CECCARELLI

MASSIMO CECILIANI

DARIO CHISTOLINI

Hooker 05.01.97

Prop 14.09.88 180cm 112kg

Prop 16.02.92 184cm 118kg

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MATTEO CORNELLI

TOMMASO D’APICE

GIOVANNI D'ONOFRIO

Hooker 30.06.88 180cm 106kg

Lock 06.06.95 188cm 100kg

Wing 25.08.98 183cm 85kg

ADRIANO DANIELE

ANDREA DE MARCHI

GABRIELE DI GIULIO

Hooker 06.08.94 180cm 102kg

Prop 19.11.88 187cm 112kg

Wing 30.04.94 185cm 86kg

ZEBRE RUGBY 2016/17

CHRIS DU PLESSIS

OLIVIERO FABIANI

CARLO ENGELBRECHT

No 8 25.07.89 193cm 114kg

Hooker 13.07.90 180cm 98kg

Scrum Half 13.04.93 180cm 83kg

DAVIDE FRAGNITO

JOSHUA FURNO

QUINTIN GELDENHUYS

Lock 03.02.96 196cm 105kg

Lock 19.06.81 203cm 124kg

Lock 21.10.89 199cm 108kg

LLOYD GREEFF

GIDEON KOELEGENBERG

BART LE ROUX

Prop 28.01.94

Wing 03.01.94 195cm 107kg

Lock 25.11.94 202cm 117kg

191cm 120kg

ANDREA MANICI

MAXIME MBANDÀ

ANDREA LOVOTTI

Hooker 28.04.90 182cm 102kg

Prop 28.07.89 183cm 111kg

Back Row 10.04.93 189cm 102kg

35

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Join the 1,000s who have already moved toHughes Home Insurance

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JOHAN MEYER

DERICK MINNIE

EDOARDO PADOVANI

Flanker 26.02.93 193cm 104kg

Back Row 29.10.86 186cm 108kg

Flyhalf 15.05.93 189cm 90kg

GIOVANNI PETTINELLI

BRUNO POSTIGLIONI

GUGLIELMO PALAZZANI

Back Row 13.03.96 193cm 90kg

Prop 08.04.87 185cm 110kg

Scrum half 11.04.91 173cm 85kg

ZEBRE RUGBY 2016/17

MATTEO PRATICHETTI

FEDERICO RUZZA

GUILLERMO ROAN

Lock 04.08.94 198cm 108kg

Prop 18.06.88 190cm 120kg

Centre 27.07.85 190cm 100kg

JACOPO SARTO

FABIO SEMENZATO

SIDNEY TOBIAS

Flanker 15.07.90

Scrum Half 06.05.86 178cm 86kg

Hooker 20.03.89 175cm 101kg

191cm 108kg

ANDRIES VAN SCHALKWYK

G VENDITTI

KAYLE VAN ZYL

No. 8 21.12.84 194cm 108kg

Wing 27.03.90 187cm 110kg

Fullback 10.12.91 185cm 91kg

MARCELLO VIOLI

DAVIDE ZANETTI

ALESSIO ZDRILICH

Scrum half 11.10.93 176cm 80kg

Lock 14.03.95 193cm 110kg

Lock 09.03.93 193cm 110kg

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NIALL MALONE, VIDEOANALYST & SKILLS COACH

DISCUSSES...

Results picking up... We had a run of difficult games, a lot away from home and unfortunately the results just weren’t what we had hoped for. More recently, we have had a run of better fixtures, better performances, guys who were unavailable are now back from injury, so following a bit of a dip, we are enjoying a bit of a high. As coaching staff, we do the same thing when we lose as when we win and we have a system that we believe in, so I don’t think we have done anything too different - it’s just a better run of games for us. We now have a mix of really difficult games and a few easier ones coming up so we need to keep the momentum from the past month going. Zebre... I must give Zebre credit, they were a lot better than I expected two weeks ago. They haven’t had a lot of wins this year and we thought the game would be more straight forward than it was. It’s definitely a good opportunity for us here at home to beat another Italian side this weekend. However, Parma was a sobering enough exercise for us because we thought it would have been easier than it was. They have guys away with Italy, so it’s a good opportunity, but we certainly won’t be taking it lightly. Squad mentality... The defeats are really hard to take. The coaches and players really struggle for days after a loss and when you get consecutive defeats that obviously multiplies. At the minute, the spirit is good, we play this game and then have a down week, so that’s a good opportunity for everyone to rest and replenish their energy, physically and mentally. If we get five wins and a bonus point against Zebre before the break, that would be perfect for us. Missing players during the Six Nations... Our squad feels really strong at the minute, even though we are missing internationals like Rory, Paddy and Hendy, who are some of our best players. Other sides really struggle when their international players are away, Glasgow in particular. Obviously, we lose some good players, but we replace them with exceptional young players. I don’t think that during the Six Nations our team suffers too badly, which is promising for our squad and for our future.

This week's game plan... The plan this week was to focus on ourselves and not be complacent. Zebre had a couple of ploys two weeks ago, they tried to attack our inside defenders more than we expected and probably had a bit more possession than we anticipated. They attacked us around certain channels that we have focused a lot on this week and I think that will be a big improvement for us. Hopefully the pitch will hold out and that will allow us to play a bit more this weekend, which we couldn’t do against Treviso. The fans... The numbers that come out to support the team amaze me every week, it’s not like that when we go to any other ground. On a bad night like last Friday, it was incredible that people still came out to support us in their droves. We are very fortunate to have the fans that we do.

NIALL MALONE

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A BIG WELCOME TO THE GROUPS ATTENDING TONIGHT’S MATCH

12th Bangor Boys’ Brigade 1st Limavady Boys’ Brigade 4th Belfast Scouts Armstrong Primary School Ballyclare RFC Lisburn RFC Raphoe Congregational Church 1st Broughshane Presbyterian Church Knockbracken Church 1st Dungannon Boys’ Brigade Glenlola Explorers Six Mile Cross Scouts High Kirk Presbyterian Church Kilraughts Young Farmers 1st Cargycreevy Boys’ Brigade Banagher Boys’ Brigade Moy Boys’ Brigade Mourne Youth Fellowship Rossory Scout Group

St. Mark’s Boys’ Brigade Cullybackey High School

WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR TIME AT KINGSPAN STADIUM AND DON’T FORGET TO SUFTUM!!

If you wish to make a group booking for Ulster v Cardiff Blues (Friday 7th April) Please contact Andrew Kent on andrew.kent@ulsterrugby.com.

SPRING SALE 50% off Ulster Rugby clothing (Does not include European jersey, reversible fleece or accessories)

In November last, the visitors, and their hosts this evening were thwarted by extreme weather conditions. LET’S ‘TRY’ THAT AGAIN!

The eleventh-hour postponement that Friday evening disappointed supporters, naturally, but both sets of players cut frustrated figures as they survived the rock-hard surface. For Ulster, there had been a genuine belief that the ‘reset’ button on a stuttering PRO12 season could be pressed against the Parma side, while Zebre had serious intentions on adding to their opponents’ indifferent form and causing an upset – or at least deepening Ulster concerns. The landscape today has changed somewhat with Ulster having emerged from the trough of disappointing results to stage a very convincing assault on reclaiming their place in the Top Four and working towards the guarantee of a play-off spot in May. That target is very far from being assured, but despite some uneven performances, a very real character has been demonstrated in a sequence which has seen Edinburgh, Glasgow, tonight’s visitors, and Treviso beaten. In the case of all but the latter there was literally the bonus of culling that extra point in scoring four tries or more, and though ensuring the win is always the priority for the players and fans, it is now almost imperative – given the pace being set by those currently occupying the leading positions in the table – that maximum reward is taken on each outing. On Friday of last week the conditions underfoot and overhead undermined what was a realistic expectation that five vital points could be secured in the game against Benetton Treviso, but there were other factors contributing to a sub-par display by Ulster and mature reflection does surely mean that the victory on the night was more than acceptable. Yes, mistakes collective and individual were made on a dreadful night for handling and which palpably affected confidence, the set-piece eventually succumbing to the malaise. But Ruan Pienaar’s calming guidance throughout prevented an entire collapse in cohesion, and there was the reassuring sight at home of Jared Payne returning and scoring a superb try. His recall to the Ireland Six Nations’ squad after the serious injury picked up in the Autumn Series

was predictable, and evidence that Joe Schmidt holds Payne in the sort of regard afforded him by Ulster’s supporters, his coaches and team- mates. If he is available this evening to face Zebre it would be a real boost, and a sure sign that he’s racing back to full health and fitness. But this evening’s game with Zebre will not be decided by one player, no matter how talismanic he might have become. What Kingspan’s faithful want to see, and are anxious to cheer, is a win which would take the side around the recently resurgent Scarlets and into fourth place. That would produce a sense of relief which has been hard-earned, and if it was to be a victory fashioned by an imaginative, confident demonstration of try-scoring – conjuring up another priceless bonus point – that would re- energise the changing room and the stands and terraces! That would build a platform for what is building up to be one of the most exciting, challenging Guinness PRO12 seasons in many years. And platform only is what it would be, because in a fortnight – with perhaps the bulk of the Irish contingent back – there is a fixture at Rodney Parade against the Dragons which for too long now has been taken on with an inhibition which we have every right not to accept from such an immensely talented group of players at Ulster. Some years ago an ambition for this club was set out, and it included the aspiration to be world- class. In many respects, much of that journey has been completed: a stadium the envy of many in the game; a structure of player development which has been most recently advertised by the impressive appearance in the senior shirt of Rob Lyttle, Jacob Stockdale and David Busby, to name but a few; and Operations Director Bryn Cunningham has secured the services of Charles Piutau, Marcel Coetzee and – just this week – of the coveted South African prop forward Schalk van der Merwe. These have been, and are, all signals of Ulster’s intent. But it has to be admitted that the blindingly obvious omission has been the arrival of a trophy at HQ for far too long. There have been great

ROD NAWN

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ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN FREELANCE JOURNALIST AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST @RODNAWN1

journeys in Europe, yes, and in the Championship so much promise and well-justified expectation. Fortune hasn’t always been a friend, but there have been failings and disappointments which – to be fair – neither management nor players have sought to deny as recent seasons’ hopes have been dashed. Supporters remain both loyal and ambitious too, and a win this evening against Gianluca Guidi’s Zebre, diminished in strength by the demands of new Italy coach Conor O’Shea’s plans, will steady nerves. Then comes the trip to the Dragons, next month’s visit from Cardiff Blues, then huge away games with Munster and Ospreys which will – if the script is well-written in training and in action – lead to the intriguing final match of the ‘regular’ season, and potentially a decisive one in terms of a PRO12 play-off. Yes, it’s the traditionally, inevitably fierce contest with Leinster which will have the perfect stage of Kingspan Stadium in May to pull down the curtain on Ulster’s PRO12 Championship campaign at home. It never is sensible to ‘get ahead’ of ourselves but it’s in the minds of fans already just what lies in store should the difficult path to that evening on the first Saturday of May be successfully negotiated. Of course, there will be bumps along that route, but at least now Les Kiss, Head Coach Neil Doak and the squad can realistically be seen prolonging the season into those play-offs. The players will take each fixture as it comes, but there is a real sense that this group believes it owes a debt to itself and to the supporters, and with a full complement the next two months could be genuinely rewarding. But this evening’s re-arranged clash with Zebre – a club which has its own target of qualifying for the Champions’ Cup next season – will be a real test, just as Treviso provided last weekend. Up front, the pack must be solid, forward-moving and mobile, while the half-backs must have the quality of possession to release a try-loaded backline which will want to swagger, not stutter. In late November the Kingspan pitch foiled any such plans, and hopefully the sodden days and

nights of recent weeks will not have taken too much of a toll on the surface and allows the innovative, the ambitious and the more ‘hungry’ team to prevail. Ulster can just about see the glint of silverware in the distance, and that incentive – after so many months of sweepingly different emotions – will surely inspire. The supporters want success, to have restored the days when trophy-chasing was an addiction. Getting into that habit is possible this season, it really is.

ROD NAWN

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HALF TIME RUGBY

Welcome and good luck to the Centra Half Time mini rugby teams from...

FAMILY END

CENTRA HALF TIME RUGBY

OPHIR RFC

RANDALSTOWN RFC

CLUB COLOURS Red, yellow and black

CLUB COLOURS Red and white

TEAM

COACHES

TEAM

COACHES

Charlie Hampson Christian English Drew Shoukri Brandon Bradford Miles Hunter Brandon Mawhinney

Gavin Robinson Daniel Robinson Kian Rolston

Charlie Morriss  Aaron Armstrong  Tommy Chambers  Daniel Hill Seamus Patterson  Paul McCloskey Boris Lestiansky  Ethan Wilson Ethan Smyth  Callum Macenglish

Paul Morriss  Chris Armstrong Peter Chambers

Matthew Conly Dylan Copeland Cormac Creagh Sam Keery Adam Connor Lewis Jones

Jonny Henry Max Gaston

MEMORIAL END

CARRICKFERGUS RFC

CLUB COLOURS ACADEMY RFC Maroon and black

CLUB COLOURS

Black and red

TEAM

COACHES

TEAM

COACHES

Ady McCord Lewis Galloway Michael Wilson Alex Kenny Wallace Blair Sam Irvine Callum MaGowan Leon Thornton Harvey Brown Jack McCalmont Callum Simms Nathan Donaldson

Mark Thornton Michael Simm

Matthew McQuiston Matthew McLaughlin  Matthew Williamson Rex Henderson Josh Manson Ethan Pavlovic  Rory Gordon  Sam Solomon Haydn Dylan-Wright Adam Russell Alex Place Tom Neill

Jonathan McQuiston Philip Williamson Ryan Henderson

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PLAYER OF THE SEASON

URSC MEMBERSHIP 2016/17

1147 HAVE JOINED URSC THIS SEASON... DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND! URSC Membership for the 2016/17 season is STILL OPEN through the URSC shop via PayPal. To renew or join up for the first time and thus maximise your benefits for the season, go to membership.ursc.co If you have any problems or questions, please contact membership@ursc.co.uk URSC PLAYER OF THE MONTH FOR JANUARY/FEBRUARY SPONSORED BY CRYSTAL CLEAR A disappointing January has given way to what seemed to be the green shoots of recovery in February! Three losses in January to Scarlets (controversially); Exeter (disappointingly); and Bordeaux (meekly) were followed by bonus point wins over Edinburgh, Glasgow and Zebre. Another plus was the welcome sight of Marcell Coetzee wearing a white jersey! » » Sean Reidy – consistently impressive » » Marcell Coetzee – the only way is forward » » Louis Ludik – I play anywhere.com » » Ruan Pienaar – after a quick service the Rolls Royce is back purring » » Jacob Stockdale – the kid is a try machine » » Darren Cave – defensive organisation and bravery... and a couple of tries However, you can vote for any Ulster player at the Info Point tonight. DATE FOR YOUR DIARY BUS TO MUNSTER Ulster play in Munster on Easter Saturday – 15 April at 3pm. URSC will run a bus to the match. Register your interest at the URSC Information Point.

The URSC Player of the Season gets to hold, for a year, a magnificent bronze trophy (worth £10,000) and a watch (to keep). We have joined forces with a local company, Gardiner Brothers, to sponsor the award, which means that come the end of season Awards Dinner, one of the Ulster squad will get a couple of serious prizes to take home. In addition, we usually commission a caricature of the player drawn by our resident cartoonist. Gardiner Brothers will also provide a watch for one of our members (drawn at random from all those who voted for the Player of the Season Award). Get voting and good luck!

SUPPORTERS CLUB NEWS

PLAYERS AT THE URSC INFO POINT

The Info Point is directly opposite the Kukri Shop in the Fan Zone at Kingspan Stadium. Come along and meet a player – Brett Herron was there for the Edinburgh match. Vote for your player of the month, book your place on the bus to the Munster match, or simply come along for a chat... we’d love to see you!

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