Zebre can count on the return of four of the thirteen Italian internationals that will be available to coach Guidi in the first of the RBS 6 Nations weekend break: prop Chistolini, back rower Van Schalkwyk, fly-half Haimona and centre Bisegni. Compared to the last encounter played in Dublin last Friday the XV of the Italian Northwest, will have to face the absences of winger Berryman -shoulder injury- and flanker Cook, out for a muscle stretch.
Connacht have with the best attack out of the whole Guinness PRO12 sides having scored 36 tries in 14 matches. The XV of coach Lam is looking for the sixth win in Parma where the Galway based franchise has always won in the previous 5 meetings. Connacht are coming off two consecutive wins against Scarlets and away in Newport.
In contrast Zebre will try to stop the losing streak that sees the Italians defeated in his last two games of the Guinness PRO12 at Stadio Lanfranchi against Munster and last Friday in Dublin.
It will be special day tomorrow for the Zebre fullback Mils Muliaina, the only former player of the encounter: the former 100 times All Blacks achieved his debut in the Guinness PRO12 last season while in the Connacht roster at the Sportsground game against Zebre. National Academy Ivan Francescato scrum half Matteo Panunzi- selected two weeks ago with Italy Under 20 for the youth Six Nations window- gains his first selection by Zebre and is ready to debut in the Guinness PRO12 starting off the bench.
Here's Zebre line-up for Saturday February 20th match at Stadio Lanfranchi in Parma for the 15th round of the Guinness PRO12 against Munster. Kick off at 5.30 pm local time :
15 Mils Muliaina
14 Giulio Toniolatti
13 Giulio Bisegni
12 Matteo Pratichetti
11 Kayle Van Zyl
10 Kelly Haimona
9 Luke Burgess
8 Andries Van Schalkwyk
7 Johan Meyer
6 Emiliano Caffini*
5 Marco Bortolami (cap)
4 Gideon Koegelenberg
3 Dario Chistolini
2 Oliviero Fabiani
1 Bruno Postiglioni
Replacements :
16 Emiliano Coria
17 Andrea De Marchi
18 Pietro Ceccarelli
19 Federico Ruzza*
20 Filippo Cristiano
21 Matteo Panunzi*
22 Ulrich Beyers
23 Tommaso Boni*
Coach. Gianluca Guidi
*Former member of the Italian Rugby Union academy "Ivan Francescato" of Tirrenia.
Not available for selection due to injury: Dion Berryman, Jean Cook, Tommaso D'Apice*, Paul Derbyshire, Filippo Ferrarini*, Quintin Geldenhuys, Andrea Manici*, Marcello Violi*, Michele Visentin*.
Referee: Gary Conway (Irish Rugby Football Union)
Assistant Referees: Giuseppe Vivarini e Simone Boaretto (both Federazione Italiana Rugby)
TMO: Stefano Roscini (Federazione Italiana Rugby)
Live tv coverage in Italy on Rai Sport 2. Live radio coverage on www.sportparma.com end live text coverage of the game on www.pro12rugby.com