Ulster Rugby vs Zebre

ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN FREELANCE JOURNALIST AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST @RODNAWN1

but can you imagine the electricity that will be generated in the Kingspan crowd when Bowe and Henderson add their world-class talents to a side which has suffered a real ‘dip’ in confidence given the errors and mistakes which have undermined the trophy drive in the last few weeks. But no sensible fan would deny that Ulster has quality and it has it in depth, and perhaps the visit of Zebre will spark the resurgence which could very quickly put the team back in the driving seat for the target of a play-off spot and, preferably, a home ‘semi’. Leaders Connacht and Leinster are to visit Kingspan Stadium, there are trips to the Ospreys and to Glasgow in the offing, and given that the margins in the league are now so small, that there are no longer any easy contests, the fans and coaches would love to see an Ulster team take the field which has the classy composure and much-missed quality of Best, Trimble, Bowe, Payne, Henderson ‘in the mix’. The Italian side which provides the test this evening will give some indication of how Ulster has absorbed the disappointments of recent weeks, and there is nothing more certain than that the whole squad has examined itself collectively and individually. Even the very best players can make mistakes, and at this level of professional sport they can be really damaging. The vastly experienced Mils Muliaina, Luke Burgess and Paul Derbyshire have been imported successfully to bulwark native talents such as Marco Bortolami and Tommaso Boni, and wins over Edinburgh and Cardiff show that Zebre is not there to ‘make up the numbers’, it is a team of which every opponent is extremely wary. Leinster can attest to that after Gianluca Guidi’s team almost derailed the Dublin club’s revival last weekend! Yes, the last month has been ‘wobbly’, nowhere is that better understood than in the management and squad, and after the hard work undoubtedly done these last few weeks behind the scenes the fans can now do their ‘bit’ – as they have so consistently as Ulster’s star has risen. Now it’s time for ‘Team Ulster’ – on and off the pitch – to produce its ‘A’ game. Let that unmistakeable roar be heard early this evening, the revealing last chapter is about to begin! It’ll be a good read. Promise!

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