Ulster Rugby vs Zebre

Welcome to Round 17 of the Guinness PRO12 championship. With only six full rounds to go, the season is really building towards its climax. A number of clubs are still in contention to make the Play-Offs in May as well as automatic qualification for Europe. Every game counts. Last weekend the top five teams remained unchanged in the championship table but there was movement amongst the mid-table teams vying for those crucial Play- Off and European places. Connacht still sit at the top of the Guinness PRO12 table with 54 points, following their exciting 30-22 win over the Ospreys. Leinster (second) and Edinburgh (fifth) had two good wins against Zebre and Scarlets respectively whilst Ulster remain fourth despite being pipped by a resurgent Cardiff Blues second half performance. Munster also improved their position to sixth in the table after a close encounter with Treviso. And Glasgow Warriors narrowly defeated Dragons to continue their move up the table and currently occupy seventh place, but have two games in hand. Once again we saw some thrilling games and three out of the six encounters saw the Dragons, Scarlets and Treviso take losing bonus points. And, despite the seasonal weather, on average there are still over four tries scored per match. Tonight’s contest will be exciting as both Ulster and Zebre lost last week and will be keen to return to their winning ways. It is a credit to the unions, clubs, coaches and players that our championship is as competitive as it is and many of the talented players that compete in the Guinness PRO12 have been on international duty. Last weekend 72 players were prominent in the RBS 6 Nations. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the teams, players and officials all the very best for their games this weekend and thank you, the fans, for your continued support. Enjoy the game.