Seven changes for Zebre Rugby
On Sunday August 30th, KO 7pm (uk time), Zebre and Benetton Rugby will close their season at the Lanfranchi Stadium in Parma for the 15th and last round of the regular season of Guinness PRO14 2019/20. There will be a full debut for Jacopo Trulla, on permit from Calvisano Rugby.
The game will be played behind closed doors to the public, but it will be broadcast live on Eir Sport 1 and Premier Sports 2 at 7 pm UK time. The hashtag to follow the text coverage of the match on Zebre’s Twitter profile will be #ZEBvBEN.
The clash – the 20th official meeting between the two sides – will be played nine days after the first challenge, won 17-13 at the Monigo Stadium by Zebre.
Sunday’s derby will be the 4th of the season in the tournament between Zebre and Benetton Rugby, the latter winners of 14 encounters with their rivals.
With the shortened conclusion of the Guinness PRO14 2019/20 season and the freezing of the standings to the 13th round, Zebre and Benetton Rugby have no mathematical possibility to qualify for the final stages of the championship and for next season’s Champions Cup.
Nevertheless, on Sunday evening the home team will have the chance to finish the season in an historic 11th place. To reach this record, however, head coach Michael Bradley’s side will have to get a bonus point victory and hope that no points are gained by Dragons against Scarlets.
For Zebre, this would be their 6th win of the season in all the competitions, as many as those obtained in 2018/19.
Here’s Zebre Rugby Club line-up for Sunday, August 30 at the Lanfranchi Stadium in Parma (ITA) for the 15th and last Round of Guinness PRO14 against Benetton Rugby. Kick-off 7.00 pm UK time:
- Jacopo Trulla* (0) (permit player member of Calvisano Rugby)
- Giulio Bisegni (97) (Cap)
- Federico Mori* (4) (permit player member of Calvisano Rugby)
- Carlo Canna (91)
- Mattia Bellini (54)
- Antonio Rizzi* (1)
- Marcello Violi* (65)
- Renato Giammarioli* (41)
- Johan Meyer (92)
- Maxime Mbandà* (53)
- Leonard Krumov* (42)
- Cristian Stoian* (1) (permit player member of Fiamme Oro Rugby)
- Matteo Nocera* (2)
- Luca Bigi (9)
- Danilo Fischetti* (18)
Replacements:
- Massimo Ceciliani* (26)
- Daniele Rimpelli* (39)
- Giosuè Zilocchi* (28)
- Lorenzo Masselli* (4)
- Jimmy Tuivati (27)
- Guglielmo Palazzani (135)
- Tommaso Boni* (87)
- Iacopo Bianchi* (11)
Not available for selection due to injury: Michelangelo Biondelli, Tommaso Castello, Gabriele Di Giulio, Giovanni D’Onofrio, Jamie Elliott, Oliviero Fabiani, Andrea Lovotti, Giovanni Licata, Marco Manfredi, Ian Nagle, Samuele Ortis, David Sisi, Alexandru Tarus, Joshua Renton
*Former member of the Italian Rugby Union academy “Ivan Francescato”
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Federazione Italiana Rugby)
Assistent referees: Andrea Piardi (Federazione Italiana Rugby) e Federico Vedovelli (Federazione Italiana Rugby)
TMO: Stefano Pennè (Federazione Italiana Rugby)
