Bortolami leads Zebre Rugby in the Italian Derby return leg

Before the departure to Treviso the Zebre Rugby technical staff composed of Andrea Cavinato and Victor Jimenez has announced the official line-up for the challenge scheduled at the Monigo Stadium with kickoff at 15.00.

Several changes compared with the starting line-up of last round: Zebre are in search of a success against the other Italian team of the PRO12 that overcame Bortolami and his team mates 26-16 in Parma last weekend shortening the gap in the table standings. Only one point separates the two teams now on the eve of the sixth ever match between the two clubs. Zebre precede the White & Green boys who lack the victory in front of their home crowd since April 2014; the penultimate round of last season.

Three former Benetton Treviso player are selected in the starting XV of Zebre: international winger Toniolatti, Treviso born centre Iannone and flanker Mauro Bergamasco while on the bench sits Luca Scarsini: the prop is a permit player from Rugby Calvisano in the main Italian domestic league and could earn his debut in the Guinness PRO12.

Here's Zebre line-up for Saturday 3 January 2015 at the Stadio Monigo in Treviso for the 12nd round of the GUINNESS PRO12 against Benetton Treviso. Kick off at 3.00 pm local time :

15 David Odiete*
14 Giulio Toniolatti
13 Tommaso Iannone*
12 Matteo Pratichetti
11 Leonardo Sarto*
10 Edoardo Padovani*
9 Guglielmo Palazzani

8 Andries Van Schalkwyk
7 Mauro Bergamasco
6 Filippo Cristiano
5 Marco Bortolami (cap)
4 Quintin Geldenhuys
3 Dario Chistolini
2 Andrea Manici*
1 Andrea De Marchi

Replacements:

16 Oliviero Fabiani
17 Luca Scarsini*
18 Luca Redolfini
19 George Biagi
20 Valerio Bernabò
21 Brendon Leonard
22 Kelly Haimona
23 Mirco Bergamasco

Coach. Andrea CAVINATO

Not available for selection due to injury: Matias Aguero, Giulio Bisegni, Hendrik Daniller, Tommaso D'Apice*, Filippo Ferrarini*, Gonzalo Garcia, Andrea Lovotti*, Michele Visentin*, Samuela Vunisa

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

Referee: Gary Conway (Irish Rugby Football Union)
Assistant Referees: Claudio Blessano e Stefano Penné (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

Previous Guinness PRO12 clashes between the two Italian sides:
22-Dec-2012 Zebre Rugby v Treviso 3-10 (1-4)
29-Dec-2012 Treviso v Zebre Rugby 26-18 (4-0)
28-Dec-2013 Treviso v Zebre Rugby 20-15 (4-1)
04-Jan-2014 Zebre Rugby v Treviso 14-12 (4-1)
28-Dec-2014 Zebre Rugby v Treviso 16-26 (0-4)