ZEBRE LINE-UP FOR THE FIRST LEG OF THE ITALIAN DERBY

Treviso chases Zebre in the table after the first ten rounds with 4 points due to the 24-24 draw in Monigo against Leinster and to two losing bonus points while the XV of head coach Cavinato has 9 points thanks to two home wins against Ulster and Edinburgh. The challenge is also important in view of the upcoming European Cup qualifying: the formula provides access the most prestigious EPCR Champions Cup to the best placed in between the two italian teams of the Guinness PRO12.

Bortolami and his team mates will give their best in order to prevail in the most expected clash against the green and white side of coach Casellato -former Zebre backs coach last season. The challenge will be as usual exceptional even for the large number of italian internationals playing just few days before the cap announcement by Italy head coach Brunel ahead of the Six Nations match. During last November internaionals test there were eight Treviso Azzurri: the forward Favaro , Minto and Zanni and backs Gori, Campagnaro, Morisi, Esposito and Ragusi . The italian Northwest side has seen 13 of its members wearing the Azzurri shirt against Samoa, Argentina and Australia with the overall debut of Haimona and Vunisa .

In the four previous derby three defeats came for Zebre Rugby victorious in the last metting of last January at the Stadio XXV Aprile in the narrow success by 14-12 ; the first ever for Zebre in front of their crowd. Like any self-respecting derby even numbers denote the great balance between the two teams: five tries were scored by each side, 2 of them in Parma and 8 at Monigo stadium that will host the second leg next Saturday, January 3rd. Discipline and kickers are starring in the encounter with Berquist (22), Orquera (20) and Burton (16) on the podium of the topscorer, all scoring points with their kicks or drops.

There will be seven former players: Giazzon -man of the match of last edition of the italian derby- and Trevisan are now part of the Treviso Roster while in between the players available to selection by coach Cavinato five of them have worn the shirt of Benetton: Mauro Bergamasco, Bernabò, Iannone, Toniolatti and Garcia: the last one will be a sure absent of the Parma clash because of his last injure.

Here's Zebre line-up for Sunday 28 December 2014 at the Stadio XXV Aprile in Parma for the 11st round of the GUINNESS PRO12 against Benetton Treviso. Kick off at 3.00 pm local time:

15 Hendrik Daniller
14 Giovanbattista Venditti*
13 Giulio Bisegni
12 Matteo Pratichetti
11 Leonardo Sarto*
10 Kelly Haimona
9 Brendon Leonard

8 Samuela Vunisa
7 Andries Van Schalkwyk
6 Mauro Bergamasco
5 George Biagi
4 Quintin Geldenhuys (cap)
3 Dario Chistolini
2 Andrea Manici*
1 Andrea Lovotti*

Replacements

16 Oliviero Fabiani
17 Andrea De Marchi
18 Luca Redolfini
19 Marco Bortolami
20 Valerio Bernabò
21 Luciano Orquera
22 Giulio Toniolatti
23 Guglielmo Palazzani

Coach. Andrea CAVINATO

Not available for selection due to injury: Matias Aguero, Tommaso D'Apice*, Filippo Ferrarini*, Gonzalo Garcia, Tommaso Iannone*, Edoardo Padovani*, Michele Visentin*

* Former member of the Italian Rugby Union U20 academy "Ivan Francescato".

Referee: Andrew McMenemy (Scottish Rugby Union) at his 34th direction in the competition. The scottish referee whistles the same encounter in the Treviso match of last December 2013

Assistant Referees: Matteo Liperini & Elia Rizzo (both Federazione italiana rugby)

TMO: Carlo Damasco (Federazione italiana rugby)

Live tv coverage on Nuvolari TV in Italy. Live score text coverage on www.pro12rugby.com

Guinness PRO12 previous clashes between the two italian side:

22-Dic-2012 Zebre Rugby v Treviso 3-10 (1-4)
29-Dic-2012 Treviso v Zebre Rugby 26-18 (4-0)
28-Dic-2013 Treviso v Zebre Rugby 20-15 (4-1)
4-Gen-2014 Zebre Rugby v Treviso 14-12 (4-1)