Chistolini told it's time to shine

That's the belief of Scotland scrum coach Massimo Cuttitta, who has prepared his troops for a head-to-head meeting with the tight-head on Saturday afternoon.

Chistolini has played in 12 of Zebre's 15 GUINNESS PRO12 encounters this season, scoring in the 13-6 victory over second-placed Ulster.

And, with 33-year-old Castrogiovanni now in the autumn of his career, Chistolini has the chance to stake his claim for the No.3 shirt on a more permanent basis.

"Castro is an important aspect for their squad. But the boys like (Lorenzo) Cittadini and Chistolini are developing," Cuttitta told ESPNScrum.

"They'll miss his leadership, but from a scrummaging point of view, I think Cittadini is just as good, and Chistolini too.

"I actually think it strengthens their scrum because they've brought good scrummagers in.

"Whichever team is strong up front is going to win the game. We know we have to take them on, there's no shortcut, no throwing away the ball to the backs."

Follow us on Facebook, join the conversation on Twitter, sign up to our YouTube channel for extensive match highlights and sign up for our newsletter for regular updates on the GUINNESS PRO12