United Rugby Championship: Ulster 14 Zebre Parma 15
For the first time in 36 matches, Zebre Parma recorded an away win in the URC as they shocked Ulster with a thoroughly deserved win in Belfast.
Conditions may have been horrific and difficult, but the Italians defied all the odds to claim a stunning victory.
Two tries in as many minutes early in the second half from Bautista Stavile Bravin and Giacomo da Re saw the Italians surge into a 15-point lead.
A stunned Ulster managed to claw their way back into the game through two Corrie Barrett tries, but it wasn’t enough as Ulster fell to a third consecutive home league defeat for the first time since 2009.
There was little to shout about in the opening exchanges. Both sides struggled to adapt to the conditions, and for one of Ravenhill’s smallest-ever crowds for a United Rugby Championship (URC) match, the main talking points centred around the weather and not what happening on the pitch.
Handicapped by a number of call-ups to the Italian Six Nations squad, Zebre settled quicker and were winning all the battles up front, including three scrum penalties.
The game was 20 minutes old when Ulster first asked any questions of the Zebre defence.
Camped on the Zebre line, it looked like a matter of time before Ulster were going to cross the whitewash for the games opening try, but right under the posts, the Italians managed to turn Ulster over and clear their lines.
Just short of the half-hour came the only score of the half.Another dominant scrum from the visitors yielded a penalty, and out-half Giovanni Montemauri kicked the Italians into a deserving lead.
The returning Tom Stewart almost managed to squeeze over in the corner when he went down the blind side from a maul, but he was bundled into touch by a very confident Zebre defence, and despite being down to 14 players, the Italians held a deserving 0-3 lead at half-time.
Ulster were hit with a double whammy at the start of the second half when the Italians took a stranglehold on the game.
Flanker Bravin had only returned from the sin-bin when he was put in the clear to touchdown in the corner.
Before Ulster could gather their thoughts again, Zebre full-back da Re picked a great line to go in under the posts. Montemauri’s conversation meant the visitors had stormed into a 15-point advantage.
Richie Murphy started to run the bench in an attempt to inject some energy into his side and it wasn’t long before Ulster made their mark on the scoreboard.
Replacement prop Barrett got over from close range with Nathan Doak’s conversation cutting Ulster’s arrears to 8-points just short of the hour.
Montemauri came within inches of extending Zebre’s lead with a penalty as the game ticked into the final quarter before Doak saw his penalty drift harmlessly wide as Ulster desperately went seeking an avenue back into the contest.
With four minutes remaining Ulster did get back into the tie and it was a carbon copy of their first try as Barrett bundled his way over from close range. Doak converted to leave the minimum between the sides.
There was time for one more Ulster attack but the Zebre defence stood tall to leave Belfast with a victory for the first time.
