Zebre team to face Munster

The game is the 13th round of the competition and is the first seasonal encounter between the two teams. Both teams will lack several internationals: seven capped by Ireland for the Munstermen and only fly-half Haimona available for the weekend game for Zebre, as decided by the staff of the Italian national team.

Munster currently occupy fifth place with 32 points but, like Zebre, has played only 11 of the 12 rounds so far in the fixture. Only three points separate Peter O'Mahony and his team mates from the playoffs, while in the last five rounds Munster grabbed only two victories, however, both away from Thomond Park against Edinburgh and Ulster.

The Italian side occupies tenth place with 17 points, six less than Cardiff Blues. In the six previous encounters between the two teams the victory has always gone to the Irish side, with Zebre taking only a point in the 25-27 loss in May 2013 in Parma. The second leg will be played in Limerick in two months on March 25, 2016.

Compared to last weekend's match, Zebre welcome back some players including winger Visentin and back-rower Caffini for their first starts of the season for the two former national academy Ivan Francescato of the Italian rugby union.

Flanker Cristiano and former All Blacks' Muliaina will both be on the bench.

Zebre Rugby team manager Andrea De Rossi on Saturday's game:

"We need another test of character to deal with Munster: an experienced team and thrunners-up of last season's Guinness PRO12 that knows how to win games without dominating possession. Even if the Irish side will have to play without some internationals like us, it nevertheless remains a team with a great tradition and very hard to beat. We worked well during the training week: despite several players missing tomorrow at Stadio Lanfranchi we will field the best Zebre team possible. As we have said yet, we'll face two very important months both for the players available but also to test the real work on the depth of the squad since the beginning of the season. We have made great improvements on the static phases; maintaining a high level of organization of our defence. During the analysis made during the week we are aware that the outcome of our game will depend a lot from competing against Munster in these aspects. OnSaturday against Gloucester we were very pleased to see the Stadio Lanfranchi really busy, we want to continue to deserve the support of our fans with our good performances."

Here's Zebre line-up for Saturday January 30th match at Stadio Lanfranchi in Parma for the 13th round of the Guinness PRO12 against Munster. Kick off at 3.00 pm local time:

15 Kayle Van Zyl
14 Dion Berryman
13 Tommaso Boni*
12 Matteo Pratichetti
11 Michele Visentin*
10 Kelly Haimona
9 Luke Burgess

8 Jean Cook
7 Johan Meyer
6 Emiliano Caffini*
5 Marco Bortolami (cap)
4 Gideon Koegelenberg
3 Pietro Ceccarelli
2 Oliviero Fabiani
1 Andrea De Marchi

Replacements:

16 Emiliano Coria
17 Bruno Postiglioni
18 Guillermo Roan
19 Federico Ruzza*
20 Filippo Cristiano
21 Giulio Toniolatti
22 Mils Muliaina
23 Ulrich Beyers

Coach. Gianluca Guidi

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

Not available for selection due to injury: Tommaso D'Apice*, Paul Derbyshire, Quintin Geldenhuys, Andrea Manici*, Marcello Violi*

Referee: Dudley Phillips (Irish Rugby Football Union)
Assistant Referees: Elia Rizzo e Filippo Bertelli (both Federazione Italiana Rugby)
TMO: Alan Falzone (Federazione Italiana Rugby)

Live tv coverage in Italy on Rai Sport 1. Live radio coverage on www.sportparma.com and live text coverage of the game on www.pro12rugby.com