URC 2025/26 · Round 15
Zebre Parma
Ulster
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
Championship Standings
Ulster sit 3rd on 42 points — firmly in the playoff picture and chasing a home quarter-final. Zebre Parma are dead last on 12 points with a point differential of −187, the worst in the competition by a country mile. This is 3rd versus 16th — a 30-point chasm in the standings.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Glasgow Warriors | 13 | 10 | 3 | +171 | 50 |
| 2 |  Stormers | 13 | 10 | 3 | +120 | 46 |
| 3 | Ulster | 13 | 8 | 5 | +97 | 42 |
| 4 |  Leinster | 13 | 8 | 5 | +45 | 41 |
| 5 |  Cardiff | 13 | 8 | 5 | −3 | 40 |
| 6 |  Munster | 13 | 8 | 5 | −22 | 39 |
| 7 |  Lions | 13 | 7 | 5 | +20 | 38 |
| 8 |  Bulls | 13 | 7 | 6 | +54 | 35 |
| 9 |  Connacht | 13 | 6 | 7 | +3 | 35 |
| 10 |  Ospreys | 13 | 5 | 6 | −25 | 29 |
| 11 |  Sharks | 13 | 5 | 7 | −32 | 29 |
| 12 |  Benetton | 13 | 5 | 6 | −53 | 28 |
| 13 |  Edinburgh | 13 | 4 | 9 | −52 | 23 |
| 14 |  Scarlets | 13 | 4 | 8 | −69 | 21 |
| 15 |  Dragons | 13 | 2 | 8 | −67 | 20 |
| 16 | Zebre Parma | 13 | 2 | 11 | −187 | 12 |
Zebre Parma
W0, L5Six straight URC defeats now — and the trend is getting worse, not better. The 36–17 hammering at Scarlets last Friday was their heaviest recent loss in a fixture they might have hoped to compete in. At home, the picture is equally bleak: beaten 15–31 by Connacht and 23–37 by Benetton in the Italian derby. The only remotely close result was the 21–26 Glasgow game at Lanfranchi — and even that flattered Zebre.
Ulster
W4, L1Ulster are flying — four wins from five, and that 40–19 demolition of Edinburgh in Round 13 was arguably their most complete performance of the season. The 28–3 evisceration of Munster at Kingspan was the high-water mark. The only blemish was a narrow home defeat to Connacht in Round 14, where a rotated squad fell flat. When Ulster turn up with intent, they outscore opponents by margins that would embarrass most sides in this competition.
Head-to-Head in Parma
2 – 0 – 7
Zebre wins · Draws · Ulster wins (9 meetings at this venue)
Zebre Parma (2)Ulster have won seven of nine meetings in Parma — and the two Zebre victories came in September 2014 (13–6) and September 2017 (27–23), both early-season fixtures where Ulster may have been undercooked. The most recent visit, in October 2023, saw Ulster win 40–36 in a high-scoring affair. The November 2020 meeting was a 57–14 demolition.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023 | URC | Zebre 36–40 Ulster |
| Oct 2021 | URC | Zebre 3–36 Ulster |
| Nov 2020 | Pro14 | Zebre 14–57 Ulster |
| Sep 2017 | Pro14 | Zebre 27–23 Ulster |
| Feb 2017 | Pro12 | Zebre 17–40 Ulster |
| Apr 2016 | Pro12 | Zebre 17–47 Ulster |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Zebre 19 – Ulster 41 in the last six meetings at this venue. Ulster have won five of six, often by enormous margins.
Extended Form
Zebre Parma3W, 11L
Wins: Ospreys (23–19, CC), Black Lion (28–14, CC away), Montauban (41–17, CC). Losses: Scarlets (17–36, URC), Munster (7–21, URC away), Connacht (15–31, URC), Glasgow (21–26, URC), Glasgow (10–47, URC away), Benetton (23–37, URC), Benetton (15–21, URC away), Montpellier (7–31, CC away), Cardiff (14–29, URC), Leinster (26–50, URC away), Stormers (13–31, URC).
Three wins in 14 competitive matches — and all three came in the Challenge Cup, two against lower-tier opposition. In the URC, Zebre have won just twice all season. They concede an average of 32 points per URC match and have been blown away by every half-decent side they’ve faced.
Ulster10W, 5L
Wins: Edinburgh (40–19), Scarlets (27–22, away), Cardiff (21–14), Munster (28–3), Connacht (29–24, away), Sharks (34–26, away), Stade Français (26–19, EPCR), Cheetahs (28–0, EPCR away), Racing 92 (61–7, EPCR), Benetton (47–13). Losses: Ospreys (10–21, away), Leinster (20–24), Cardiff (26–29), Lions (31–49, away), Dragons (42–21, away).
Ulster’s record is that of a genuine top-four side — 10 wins from 15 across all competitions. The home form is imposing (28–3 Munster, 61–7 Racing 92), but the away wins against Edinburgh, Sharks, and Connacht show a team that can travel and deliver. A trip to Parma is about as comfortable as away fixtures get.
Zebre Parma XV
Lineups have not yet been announced. Zebre Parma will likely rotate from the side beaten 36–17 at Scarlets, though their squad depth remains the thinnest in the competition. Without Italian internationals — who are spread thin between Benetton and the national setup — Zebre’s matchday 23 is predictably limited.
Ulster XV
Lineups have not yet been announced. Ulster are expected to have their Irish internationals available following the conclusion of the Six Nations — Iain Henderson, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, and others could all feature. Richie Murphy may opt to rotate given the comfortable nature of the fixture, but the playoff race demands points.
Key Matchups
Without confirmed lineups, specific player-on-player analysis is limited — but the broader picture could not be clearer. Ulster are superior in every single area. Their pack, likely anchored by Henderson, will dominate a Zebre forward unit that has been bullied at scrum time and lineout all season. In the backs, the gulf is even wider — McCloskey’s carrying power and Stockdale’s finishing against a Zebre backline that concedes tries for fun.
Match Forecast
This is a mismatch on paper and it should be one on the pitch. Ulster sit 3rd, 30 points clear of Zebre in the standings, with a point differential 284 points better. They’ve won seven of nine meetings in Parma — including a 57–14 demolition and a 36–3 shutout — and arrive on the back of a four-from-five run that included the 40–19 dismantling of Edinburgh. Zebre have lost six straight URC matches, conceding an average of 30 points per game.
The only caveat is rotation. Ulster have the playoff race to think about and may rest key players ahead of tougher assignments. Even so, this is an away trip to the weakest side in the URC — a fixture Ulster have historically used to rack up bonus-point wins and boost their points differential. Zebre’s home crowd at Lanfranchi can make noise early, but the quality gap is simply too vast.
Ulster to win by 25+ points — Zebre haven’t beaten them in Parma since 2017, and nothing about this season suggests that’s about to change.