Zebre Rugby Team Announcement

In the last game played in Parma 12 months ago the Newport based franchise just escaped from defeat with a late try that fixed the final score as a draw 25-25.

For the upcoming fixture Zebre Rugby cannot count on 10 international players who are with the national team at Murrayfield where Italy will face Scotland in the 3rd round of the RBS 6 Nations but can rely on six permit player members of the top Italian division Eccellenza. For five of them this is a confirmation having already worn Zebre Rugby jerseys during this year Six Nations window while the number 8 Maxime Mbandà from Italian champions Rugby Calvisano will earn his first cap with the Italian North-West side starting in his first ever Guinness PRO12 game. The 1993 born back rower will tread the Stadio Lanfranchi soil for the second time in one week being a fresh champion of the Eccellenza Trophy won last Saturday in Parma with his club over Rugby Mogliano.

Here's Zebre line-up for Sunday 1 March 2015 at the Stadio Lanfranchi in Parma (ITALY) for the 16th round of the GUINNESS PRO12 against the Welsh Dragons. Kick off at 6pm local time :

15 Hendrik Daniller
14 Dion Berryman
13 Mirco Bergamasco
12 Matteo Pratichetti
11 Giulio Toniolatti
10 Edoardo Padovani*
9 Brendon Leonard

8 Maxime Mbandà*
7 Mauro Bergamasco (cap)
6 Jacopo Sarto
5 Augustin Cavalieri
4 Andrei Mahu
3 Lorenzo Romano
2 Oliviero Fabiani
1 Andrea Lovotti*

Replacements:

16 Lorenzo Giovanchelli
17 Andrea De Marchi
18 Luca Redolfini
19 Giacomo Bernini
20 Ruben Riccioli*
21 Alberto Chillon*
22 Federico Ruzza*
23 David Odiete*

Coach. Victor Jimenez

Not available for selection due to injury: Marco Bortolami, Valerio Bernabò, Filippo Cristiano, Tommaso D'Apice*, Filippo Ferrarini*, Gonzalo Garcia, Quintin Geldenhuys, Tommaso Iannone*, Luciano Orquera, Leonardo Sarto*, Andries Van Schalkwyk

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

Referee: Gary Conway (IRFU, 9th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Elia Rizzo e Stefano Penné (both FIR)
TMO: Stefano Roscini (FIR)
Live tv coverage on Nuvolari TV in Italy. Live score text coverage on www.pro12rugby.com