Zebre Team Announcement

The Stadio XXV Aprile in Parma will see the kick off of the third celtic rugby season of the white & black franchise by hosting Cardiff Blues. There are two debuts in the GUINNESS PRO12 in the starting XV both in the backs: centre Mirco Bergamasco and the South African & former Cheetahs full-back Hendrik Daniller. The Zebre Rugby captain will be lock Quintin Geldenhuys who will lead a squad that includes nine other Italian internationals who took part into last summer tour in the South Pacific.

The Parma based franchise plays in front of its home crowd after four months since the last home game of last season, the win over the Ospreys, which led to four rounds of consecutive unbeaten matches at the Stadio XXV Aprile, which is ready to welcome all fans from the new entrance on the north side of the venue completed last spring.

Speaking to the Italian press during the week, head coach Andrea Cavinato said :"Sunday we must face this game with the maximum concentration and humility because we know that Cardiff, although last year we beat them twice, have made major recruitments and have got a new quality coach: they definitely want to excel in this league again. For us it will be a tough challenge, especially in the rucks we need to perform well both in attack and in defense because I expect a very physical match. Our pre-season was good, there has been intensive in physical fights in our two friendlies while my only concern is not being able to have an appropriate pace and an playing time similar to what we know the GUINNES PRO12 is".

Here's Zebre line-up for Sunday 7 September 2014 at Stadio XXV Aprile in Parma for the 1st round of the GUINNESS PRO12 against the Welsh side of the Cardiff Blues. Kick off at 5.00 pm local time :

15 Hendrik Daniller
14 Dion Berryman
13 Mirco Bergamasco
12 Gonzalo Garcia
11 Leonardo Sarto*
10 Luciano Orquera
9 Brendon Leonard

8 Samuela Vunisa
7 Andries Van Schalkwyk
6 Filippo Ferrarini*
5 George Biagi
4 Quintin Geldenhuys (cap)
3 Dario Chistolini
2 Andrea Manici*
1 Matias Aguero

Replacements :

16 Oliviero Fabiani
17 Andrea De Marchi
18 Luciano Leibson
19 Andries Ferreira
20 Filippo Cristiano
21 Guglielmo Palazzani
22 Kelly Haimona
23 Edoardo Padovani*

Coach. Andrea CAVINATO

Not available for selection due to injury: Mauro Bergamasco, Giulio Bisegni, Marco Bortolami, Tommaso Iannone*, Matteo Pratichetti, Giovanbattista Venditti*, Michele Visentin*

Referee: Andrew McMenemy (Scottish Rugby Union) at his 30th direction in the competition, 9th overall with Zebre Rugby.

Assistant Referees: Matteo Liperini e Filippo Bertelli (Both Federazione Italiana Rugby)

TMO: Stefano Penné (Federazione Italiana Rugby)

Live tv coverage in Wales on BBC Wales. Live score text coverage on www.pro12rugby.com