Last season game was the first time when the Italian side scored 4th try in a RaboDirect PRO12 game; this effort wasn't enough to beat the Ulstermen who achieved a narrow 27-25 win at the Stadio XXV Aprile. Zebre are still in search of their first home win while they never won against an Irish Rugby Football Union side in their ten previous encounters in the Celtic league.
Zebre coaching staff named such a different side from last away game in Swansea recalling eight of the nine internationals to face the runners-up of the tournament. In the backs only two players keep their places from last game: Leonard at scrum-half and Garcia at inside centre, while a new back three is formed by full-back Trevisan and Azzurri's wingers Sarto and Venditti. Fly-half Iannone earns the number 10 shirt after being selected in all three Italy Novembre games. The Fijian centre Ratuvou completes the unit.
In the pack, the Italian franchise will start with a brand new front row with props Aguero and Ryan alongside hooker D'Apice, who makes his first competitive start in the RaboDirect PRO12 in a Zebre shirt. In the second row, the international duo of Geldenhuys and Bortolami will secure experience to face the 4th placed Northern Ireland side. The back row is made up of Bergamasco, Cattina and Vunisa, who scored his 2nd try of the season at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea last weekend.
Here's Zebre line-up for Saturday 23rd November match at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, Wales for the 8th round of the RaboDirect PRO12 against the Ospreys. Kick off at 2.30 pm local time :
15 Ruggero TREVISAN*
14 Leonardo SARTO*
13 Kameli RATUVOU
12 Gonzalo GARCIA
11 Giovanbattista VENDITTI*
10 Tommaso IANNONE*
9 Brendon LEONARD
8 Samuela VUNISA
7 Nicola CATTINA
6 Mauro BERGAMASCO
5 Marco BORTOLAMI (cap)
4 Quintin GELDENHUYS
3 David RYAN
2 Tommaso D'APICE*
1 Matias AGUERO
Replacements :
16 Andrea MANICI*
17 Salvatore PERUGINI
18 Luciano LEIBSON
19 Emiliano CAFFINI*
20 Filippo CRISTIANO
21 Alberto CHILLON*
22 Luciano ORQUERA
23 Roberto QUARTAROLI*
Coach. Andrea CAVINATO
* Former member of the Italian Rugby Union academy "Ivan Francescato" of Tirrenia.
Not available for selection due to injury: Dion BERRYMAN, George BIAGI, Paolo BUSO, Filippo CAZZOLA*, Dario CHISTOLINI, Carlo FAZZARI*, Filippo FERRARINI*, Davide GIAZZON, David ODIETE*, Matteo PRATICHETTI, Giulio TONIOLATTI, Andries VAN SCHALKWYK, Michael VAN VUREN.
Referee: Andrew Mc Menemy (SRU, 25th competition game)?sixth overall with Zebre directed this season in September in Parma against Munster
Assistant Referees: Giuseppe Vivarini and Stefano Roscini (Both Federazione Italiana Rugby)
TMO: Carlo Damasco (Federazione Italiana Rugby)
Live tv coverage in Italy on Mediaset Italia 2 and in Ireland on RTE. Score text coverage on www.rabodirectpro12.com/live
