Ulster 57-14 Zebre: Marcell Coetzee scores four tries in emphatic Ulster win

Marcell Coetzee is the Pro14's leading try-scorer with eight

Marcell Coetzee scored four tries as Ulster romped to another big victory against Pro14 Conference A bottom side Zebre.

The South African back row grabbed a first-half hat-trick and Stewart Moore also crossed as the province secured the bonus point before the break.

The scores kept coming after the interval with Bill Johnston, Luke Marshall, Coetzee, debutant Ethan McIlroy and Dave Shanahan heaping more misery on Zebre who registered tries from Pierre Bruno and Nicolo Casilio.

The result maintains Ulster's winning start to the season as they continue to pull away from the rest of the pack with Leinster at the top of Conference A.

The province are now 19 points in front of third-placed Ospreys and have taken four bonus points from their opening six games.

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Irrepressible Coetzee leads Ulster charge

Coetzee has scored in every game he has played this season, and with a raft of the league's top players currently on international duty the Springbok has looked a cut above most opposition.

The gulf in class was clearer than ever, with the number eight an unstoppable pick-and-go force, registering his first try inside seven minutes.

For their part Zebre looked lively in attack in the opening quarter, and got back on level terms via a stunning finish from Bruno, who somehow managed to maintain control of the ball after it bounced between a crowd of players.

However the score was no more than respite from the Ulster onslaught, as the province went back ahead via Coetzee and their most trusted weapon: the driving maul.

After Moore crossed following Michael Lowry's charge down and offload, Coetzee completed the hat-trick four minutes from the interval from yet another line-out maul.

Bill Johnston scored 17 points having been selected at fly-half

Six minutes after the break, Zebre managed to stop an Ulster maul as it rolled towards the line, only for Alby Mathewson to quickly spin the ball to an unmarked Johnston on the blindside who walked in to extend the advantage.

Zebre, whose form had picked up of late as they secured their first win of the season over Ospreys, now cut a disconsolate outfit but after Marshall went over for his first try since returning from a lengthy hip lay-off, the hosts found their second score as Casilio darted over from a quick tap-and-go.

Coetzee again barrelled over for his fourth try before Ireland under-20 international McIlroy collected Ian Madigan's long pass to cut inside two men and score on a debut to remember.

The final act of the game came from replacement scrum-half Shanahan, who was put through to race in opposed underneath the posts as Ulster hit the half-century.

Ulster: Lowry; Gilroy, Marshall, Moore, McIlroy; Johnston, Mathewson; O'Sullivan, Andrew, Moore; O'Connor, Carter (capt); Jones, Murphy, Coetzee.

Replacements: McBurney, Warwick, Milasinovich, O'Connor, Reidy, Shanahan, Madigan, Lyttle.

Zebre: Biondelli; Bruno, Bisegni, Lucchin, Di Guilio; Rizzi, Renton; Lovotti, Manfredi, Bello; Krumov, Nagle; Casolari, Giammarioli, Masselli.

Replacements: Ceciliani, Brugnara, Tarus, Kearney, Kouassi Koffi, Casilio, Pescetto, Laloifi.