Four games take place in the PRO14 on Saturday and Sunday with Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh continuing their battle for the 1872 Cup.
Saturday
Zebre v Benetton
Zebre have made two changes to their starting lineup for the all-Italian clash with Benetton.
All of the alterations are in the forward unit, with flanker Johan Meyer suspended for one week by the disciplinary committee after the red card shown seven days ago at the Stadio Monigo.
In the front-row Argentine prop Eduardo Bello will start for the first time in the Italian derby. In the back-row, instead of Giammarioli – one of the best of the last round according to the official statistics of the tournament as well as defeated defenders and balls taken – will be Maxime Mandà with Derick Minnie.
Meanwhile, after the bonus point win obtained at home last weekend, Benetton will face Zebre again, this time at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in the second of the three seasonal derbies.
Kieran Crowley, on the eve of the match, said: “Last week, despite some mistakes, we conducted a good match.
"Tomorrow we expect a different game, they will want to win but we are ready to face them. As happened in the last match, we will have to be good at exploiting all the opportunities we will have. ”
The technical staff lost Angelo Esposito to injury, a sprain to right knee, while Ignacio Brex has not trained with the team during the week due to a virus and hooker Tomas Baravalle suffered a blow to the head in the final minutes of the first half.
At full-back will be Jayden Hayward, on the wings Luca Sperandio and Monty Ioane. Tommaso Benvenuti and Alberto Sgarbi will be respectively right and left centre.
The half backs are Tito Tebaldi at scrum-half and Marty Banks at fly-half.
The front-row will consist of Nicola Quaglio, Luca Bigi and Tiziano Pasquali.
Locks will be Marco Lazzaroni and captain Dean Budd. Finally, the back-row sees Whetu Douglas, Abraham Steyn and Robert Barbieri completing the XV chosen by Crowley.
The teams:
Zebre: 15 Matteo Minozzi, 14 Giulio Bisegni, 13 Tommaso Boni, 12 Tommaso Castello (c), 11 Mattia Bellini, 10 Carlo Canna, 9 Marcello Violi, 8 Renato Giammarioli, 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Maxime Mbandà, 5 George Biagi, 4 David Sisi, 3 Eduardo Bello, 2 Oliviero Fabiani, 1 Andrea Lovotti
Replacements: 16 Tommaso D’Apice, 17 Andrea De Marchi, 18 Roberto Tenga, 19 Valerio Bernabò, 20 Jacopo Sarto, 21 Guglielmo Palazzani, 22 Serafin Bordoli, 23 Ciaran Gaffney
Benetton:15 Jayden Hayward, 14 Luca Sperandio, 13 Tommaso Benvenuti, 12 Alberto Sgarbi, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Marty Banks, 9 Tito Tebaldi, 8 Robert Barbieri, 7 Abraham Steyn, 6 Whetu Douglas, 5 Dean Budd (c), 4 Marco Lazzaroni, 3 Tiziano Pasquali, 2 Luca Bigi, 1 Nicola Quaglio
Replacements: 16 Hame Faiva, 17 Federico Zani, 18 Cherif Traore, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Marco Barbini, 21 Edoardo Gori, 22 Ian McKinley, 23 Luca Morisi
Date: Saturday, December 30
Venue: Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Kick-off: 15:00 local (14:00 GMT)
Referee: David Wilkinson
Assistant referees: Mark Patton, Jonny Erskine
TMO: Brian MacNeice
Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh
Dave Rennie has made five changes to the Glasgow Warriors starting XV which lost 18-17 to Edinburgh at Murrayfield last Saturday for tomorrow’s second 1872 Cup match at a sold-out Scotstoun.
Nick Grigg, Niko Matawalu, Finn Russell, Kiran McDonald and Matt Fagerson come in, with the latter returning from injury having last played in the win against Leinster at the start of November.
Ruaridh Jackson continues at full-back, with Lee Jones and Niko Matawalu on either wing. Nick Grigg and Alex Dunbar combine in midfield, while Finn Russell and Ali Price link-up at half-back.
The front-row remains unchanged with Jamie Bhatti, Fraser Brown and Zander Fagerson packing down. Kiran McDonald comes into the second-row and partners captain Jonny Gray in the engine room.
Fagerson comes in to start at Number 8, with Rob Harley and Matt Smith continuing on either flank.
Lock Greg Peterson and scrum-half George Horne are named amongst the replacements, having been added to the match-day 23.
Glasgow Warriors' head coach Dave Rennie said: “It was a substandard performance last Saturday and we were hugely disappointed. We had so many opportunities to put them out of it and we didn’t and they hurt us at the end.
“We know we have a lot of genuine support out there and we’re disappointed we put in a performance like that over Christmas. We need to be better on Saturday and we certainly want to give the supporters a lot more to sing about than we did last week.”
Meanwhile, Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill's team selection includes just four changes to the side that recorded a dramatic victory in the first leg at Murrayfield last weekend.
Damien Hoyland is the only alteration to an otherwise unchanged back three. The winger – who scored a terrific solo effort in last season’s corresponding fixture – joins Duhan van der Merwe on the wing, whilst Blair Kinghorn continues at full-back.
In the midfield, James Johnstone – who last week penned a permanent two-year deal with the club – links up with the experienced Phil Burleigh. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and Jaco van der Walt continue their half-back partnership.
In the front-row, Matt Shields replaces the suspended Simon Berghan. The tighthead will pack down alongside Murray McCallum and Stuart McInally, who once again skippers the side.
The experienced pairing of Grant Gilchrist and Ben Toolis form a skilled second-row, whilst Hamish Watson and Viliame Mata link up with Jamie Ritchie – an impact substitute in last weekend’s victory over the same opponent – in the back-row.
On his selection, Cockerill said: “The players showed a great deal of passion and desire in last weekend’s victory over Glasgow and we will need the same levels of commitment if we are to come away with a positive result at Scotstoun this weekend.
“We know how tough an opposition Glasgow are, especially at home, but I know the squad will be ready for the battle.”
The teams:
Glasgow: 15 Ruaridh Jackson, 14 Lee Jones, 13 Nick Grigg, 12 Alex Dunbar, 11 Niko Matawalu, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ali Price, 8 Matt Fagerson, 7 Matt Smith, 6 Robert Harley, 5 Jonny Gray (c), 4 Kiran McDonald, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Fraser Brown, 1 Jamie Bhatti
Replacements: 16 Pat MacArthur, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Siua Halanukonuka, 19 Greg Peterson, 20 Chris Fusaro, 21 George Horne, 22 Peter Horne, 23 Huw Jones
Edinburgh: 15 Blair Kinghorn, 14 Damien Hoyland, 13 James Johnstone, 12 Phil Burleigh, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 8 Viliame Mata, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 4 Ben Toolis, 3 Matt Shields, 2 Stuart McInally (c), 1 Murray McCallum
Replacements: 16 Neil Cochrane, 17 Jordan Lay, 18 Elliot Millar-Mills, 19 Fraser McKenzie, 20 Cornell du Preez, 21 Nathan Fowles, 22 Chris Dean, 23 Darcy Graham
Date: Saturday, December 30
Venue: Scotstoun
Kick-off: 15:15 GMT
Referee: Mike Adamson
Assistant referees: Sam Grove-White, Keith Allen
TMO: Neil Patterson
Sunday
Cardiff Blues v Scarlets
Taufa'ao Filise will make his 250th appearance for Cardiff Blues as one of five changes for the PRO14 derby with the Scarlets on New Year's Eve.
The tight-head prop returns to the starting line-up at Cardiff Arms Park after serving a three-match suspension and reaches the milestone alongside Josh Navidi, who makes his 150th appearance.
Three of the changes to the starting line-up that claimed a Boxing Day victory over the Dragons come up front, with Rhys Gill also returning from injury and Josh Turnbull selected in the second-row.
In the backs, Willis Halaholo returns, to reform his centre partnership with Rey Lee-Lo and, following a try-scoring appearance from the bench last week, Tom James starts on the wing.
Cardiff Blues' head coach Danny Wilson said: "It's a phenomenal and very rare achievement to make 250 appearances for one team, particularly in the modern era.
"Fa'ao's a very popular member of the squad, is a consummate professional and you could not ask for a better occasion for him to hit this milestone than a sold out Welsh derby at the Arms Park.
"Similarly it's a great achievement for Josh, who is now being recognised on the international stage, and has been a brilliant servant for the region for a number of years."
The Blues have also been boosted by the return to fitness of a quartet of Wales internationals. Kristian Dacey, Dillon Lewis, Ellis Jenkins and Alex Cuthbert have all been named among the replacements following injury.
Wilson continued: "It is great to have players coming back to fitness and competition for places following a period where we were quite limited in terms of selection.
"That is what we need during this vital period of the season and we're very much looking forward to what promises to be a brilliant occasion against the reigning champions.
"We are going into the clash on the back of some good form, with seven wins from our last 10 first-team fixtures and five in a row at home, but we are under no illusions of the challenge the Scarlets present."
Meanwhile, Scarlets' head coach Wayne Pivac has named his side to take on the Blues.
The Boxing Day victory over regional rivals Ospreys saw the Scarlets hold on to their Conference B lead and will look to pick up vital points in their final PRO14 clash of 2017.
Centre Scott Williams will lead the Scarlets in the second derby clash of the festive season with Tom Prydie and Paul Asquith coming in on the wings for the injured Johnny McNicholl and banned Steff Evans.
Wyn Jones and Ryan Elias join Werner Kruger in the front-row with Steve Cummins joining Tadhg Beirne in the second-row.
Match winner Josh Macleod will start on the blindside flank with James Davies and Will Boyde at openside and number eight respectively.
Looking ahead to the New Year’s Eve derby clash in the PRO14 Pivac said; “We have the utmost respect for the Blues and we can’t get carried away with Tuesday’s result.
“It’s similar to the Ospreys, the formbook goes out the window when you head into derby matches. We only have to look back to the home game here when we were up 18-3 at half time and virtually with a blink of an eye it was 18-17.
“They have a lot of quality there and when they put it together they are a very dangerous team. We’re heading in to their backyard, they’re chasing that third spot hard and they have a lot to play for. Their win against the Dragons on Boxing Day keeps them alive. We’re expecting a very tough challenge on New Year’s Eve.”
The teams:
Cardiff Blues: 15 Matthew Morgan, 14 Owen Lane, 13 Rey Lee-Lo, 12 Willis Halaholo, 11 Tom James, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Nick Williams, 7 Olly Robinson, 6 Josh Navidi, 5 Josh Turnbull, 4 Seb Davies, 3 Taufa'ao Filise, 2 Matthew Rees (capt), 1 Rhys Gill
Replacements: 16 Kristian Dacey, 17 Brad Thyer, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 George Earle, 20 Ellis Jenkins, 21 Lloyd Williams, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Alex Cuthbert
Scarlets: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Tom Prydie, 13 Hadleigh Parkes, 12 Scott Williams ©, 11 Paul Asquith, 10 Rhys Patchell, 9 Gareth Davies, 1 Wyn Jones, 2 Ryan Elias, 3 Werner Kruger, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 5 Steve Cummins, 6 Josh Macleod, 7 James Davies, 8 Will Boyde
Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Rob Evans, 18 Simon Gardiner, 19 David Bulbring, 20 Lewis Rawlins, 21 Aled Davies, 22 Dan Jones, 23 Ioan Nicholas
Date: Sunday, December 31
Venue: Cardiff Arms Park
Kick-off: 15:15 GMT
Referee: George Clancy
Assistant referees: Ian Davies, Adam Jones
TMO: Sean Brickell
Dragons v Ospreys
Dragons' head coach Bernard Jackman makes eight changes to the side that suffered a narrow defeat to Cardiff Blues last weekend at a sold-out Rodney Parade.
Returning to the side that will face the Ospreys are full-back Carl Meyer, Sam Beard and Dan Babos, who have all been selected following their recovery from injury, as well as Jared Rosser, Lloyd Fairbrother, Rynard Landman and Ben Roach.
In the back three Meyer joins wings Ashton Hewitt and Jared Rosser, as he replaces Hallam Amos, who suffered an ankle injury during the Boxing Day match. The centre partnership sees Beard return from injury as he joins Jack Dixon, whilst the half-backs are all change as youngsters Arwel Robson and Babos get the nod.
The front-row sees Lloyd Fairbrother return to the starting XV as he replaces Nicky Thomas and joins fellow prop Sam Hobbs and hooker Elliot Dee, The second row has one change made to it as Rynard Landman joins skipper Cory Hill with the back-row also having one change made to it as flanker Roach joins Aaron Wainwright and number eight James Benjamin.
Jack Dixon, who has been named in the match-day XV once again for this Ospreys clash, commented; “I thought that we did well to come back into it at the end.
“I feel that we are going in the right direction and performances are coming now, we just need to keep growing as a team and the results will follow.”
He continued: “It’s a short turn around now as its straight into the Ospreys, so we have to bounce back. As a team, we are looking forward to the match on New Year’s Eve and hopefully, we will get a better result and then kick off into 2018 well.”
The replacements bench sees the inclusion of Jarryd Sage who will make his Dragons senior debut.
Meanwhile, Ospreys' head coach Steve Tandy said: "There’s a quick turnaround from Boxing Day but we were straight back in on Wednesday morning to begin preparations for Sunday and are ready to go again.
“With the Dragons this weekend followed by the Blues at the Liberty next Saturday, that’s another couple of huge games played in front of big crowds with real intensity and we have to make sure that we are up for the challenge.
“There was plenty of character and effort against the Scarlets in conditions that made life difficult for both teams and negated the influence of the extra man following their red card with the necessity to play a tight game. We got ourselves into a winning position so were incredibly disappointed not to see it through, losing the way we did at the last play.
“We’ll keep working hard as a collective to put it right on the field, we know the difference back to back PRO14 wins would make. We also understand that won’t happen by chance and we have to transfer the good work in training to the matchday.
“The supporters have been fantastic and continue to get behind the team and that is all you can ask for as a player or coach. We want to make sure we end the year on a positive for them, taking that momentum into a busy January with some huge games coming up that we can all look forward to.”
The teams:
Dragons: 15 Carl Meyer, 14 Ashton Hewitt, 13 Sam Beard, 12 Jack Dixon, 11 Jared Rosser, 10 Arwel Robson, 9 Dan Babos, 8 James Benjamin, 7 Ben Roach, 6 Aaron Wainwright, 5 Rynard Landman, 4 Cory Hill (c), 3 Lloyd Fairbrother, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Sam Hobbs
Replacements: 16 Liam Belcher, 17 Thomas Davies, 18 Nicky Thomas, 19 Robson Blake, 20 James Sheekey, 21 Sarel Pretorius, 22 Angus O’Brien, 23 Jarryd Sage
Ospreys: 15 Dan Evans, 14 Hanno Dirksen, 13 Kieron Fonotia, 12 Owen Watkin, 11 Jeff Hassler, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Rhys Webb, 8 Olly Cracknell, 7 Justin Tipuric, 6 Dan Lydiate (c), 5 Adam Beard, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Dmitri Arhip, 2 Scott Baldwin, 1 Nicky Smith
Replacements: 16 Scott Otten, 17 Paul James, 18 Ma’afu Fia, 19 Alun Wyn Jones, 20 Rob McCusker, 21 Tom Habberfield, 22 Sam Davies, 23 Ashley Beck
Date: Sunday, December 31
Venue: Rodney Parade
Kick-off: 17:35 GMT
Referee: Dan Jones
Assistant referees: Craig Evans, Mike English
TMO: Neil Hennessy
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