Tommy Bowe makes a scoring return as Ulster blitz Zebre

Zebre 17 Ulster 47

This was an opportunity that Ulster simply couldn’t afford to turn down, in both the scramble for the playoffs and a place at Europe’s top table, and they duly delivered the five points on offer in a seven-try thumping of the Italians.

And the benefits of Jared Payne's hat-trick and the brace scored by Tommy Bowe on his first game in an Ulster shirt this season – their other scorers were Ruan Pienaar and Craig Gilroy – took Ulster into the playoff zone as they rose to fourth thanks to the Scarlets having earlier been turned over by Glasgow.

Paddy Jackson added three conversions from four attempts before retiring with an unspecified leg injury early in the second half with Pienaar then kicking two more and Stuart Olding – who moved from centre to outhalf after Jackson's departure – slotting a solitary two-pointer to complete the rout.

Ulster had their bonus point wrapped up in the final play before the break when Payne’s first of the day saw Les Kiss’s squad take a 26-10 lead into the interval. The Ireland centre scored two more with Bowe managing his second in the final minutes of a largely scrappy second half.

In bright sunshine, but with a difficult wind in Ulster’s faces from the off, Ulster had their first try just two minutes in when Jackson put Pienaar over and the outhalf converted it.

But the Italians then hit back with Guglielmo Palazzani wriggling over and Carlo Canna converting to tie the scores. But Ulster – playing in blue – struck back when Bowe got over from Jackson's pass which was again converted.

Canna then kicked a 19th-minute penalty to narrow Ulster’s lead to 14-10 but the remainder of the half was all about the visitors. Gilroy was next and then came Payne’s first effort with Jackson only converting Gilroy’s to give Ulster their bonus and 26-10 lead at half-time.

Zebre were missing Palazzani for the first 10 minutes after he picked up a yellow card in the lead-up to Payne’s score and the Kiwi scored quickly after the restart and then completed his hat-trick in the 51st minute with Pienaar converting both.

Some sloppy work allowed replacement Ulrich Beyers get one back for the home side on the hour, with Canna converting before, with two minutes left, Bowe was put clear after Darren Cave intercepted a pass deep in Ulster territory. Olding kicked the extras.

ULSTER: J Payne; T Bowe, L Marshall, S Olding, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar; C Black, R Best (capt), R Lutton; P Browne, F van der Merwe; I Henderson, S Reidy, R Wilson.

Replacements: D Cave for Jackson (42mins), R Diack for Van der Merwe, C Henry for Wilson and R Herring for Best (all 46mins), K McCall for Black (56 mins), A Warwick for Lutton, P Marshall for Pienaar (both 61mins), R Scholes for L Marshall (73mins).

ZEBRE: K Van Zyl; D Berryman, G Bisegni, M Pratichetti, L Sarto; C Canna, G Palazzani; A Lovotti, O Fabiani, P Ceccarelli; Q Geldenhuys (capt), V Bernabo; J Cook, F Ruzza, G Koegelenberg.

Replacements: D Chistolini for P Ceccarelli (46mins), M Bortolami for Bernarbo (47 mins), U Beyers for Van Zyl (50mins), E Caffini for F Ruzza (53 mins), A de Marchi for A Lovotti (54 mins), B Postiglioni for O Fabiani (58 mins).

Referee: N Owens (Wales)