Munster and Zebre both welcome back a host of internationals for round 18 of the GUINNESS PRO12, with the men in red looking to continue their impressive away form in pursuit of a home semi-final.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, March 25
ZEBRE (12th) v MUNSTER (3rd), Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, 3pm local time/2pm Irish time
Team News: After a three-week break, the GUINNESS PRO12 returns this weekend with Munster taking on Italian side Zebre in Parma on Saturday afternoon.
In naming his matchday 23, the province’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has made fives changes to the Munster team that defeated Cardiff Blues in the Welsh capital in round 17.
Returning are the Ireland trio of Niall Scannell, John Ryan and captain Peter O’Mahony, as they all start in a pack that also sees the return of Jack O’Donoghue at number 8 after rehabbing the ankle injury he sustained against the Ospreys.
In what will be his 70th senior appearance for Munster, Dave O’Callaghan makes his first start at lock in a notable positional switch, joining Billy Holland in the second row.
Tyler Bleyendaal is the only change to the back-line as the New Zealander resumes his half-back pairing with Duncan Williams, while there is additional international honours at full-back this week after Andrew Conway’s debut off the bench against England at the Aviva Stadium last Saturday.
Prop James Cronin is included among the replacements after successfully rehabbing a finger injury he sustained against Racing 92 at the end of January, while David Johnston is named in his first matchday squad of the season.
Coached by Victor Jimenez, Zebre have three Italy internationals in their starting XV – centre Tommaso Boni, scrum half Marcello Violi and flanker Maxime Mbanda – for the visit of third-placed Munster to Parma.
Violi and fit-again winger Kayle van Zyl, who returns from injury for his first start of 2017, are the two back-line changes to the team that went down 68-21 at Ulster last time out.
Bruno Postiglioni comes in for Andrea de Marchi at loosehead prop, while Johan Meyer and Derick Minnie have recovered from their respective injuries to start in the back row. Gideon Koegelenberg shifts to the second row where he partners captain Valerio Bernabo.
ZEBRE: Dion Berryman; Kayle van Zyl, Tommaso Boni, Tommaso Castello, Lloyd Greeff; Serafin Bordoli, Marcello Violi; Bruno Postiglioni, Oliviero Fabiani, Bartholomeus le Roux, Gideon Koegelenberg, Valerio Bernabo (capt), Maxime Mbanda, Johan Meyer, Derick Minnie.
Replacements: Sydney Tobias, Andrea de Marchi, Guillermo Roan, Josh Furno, Federico Ruzza, Carlo Engelbrecht, Matteo Pratichetti, Guglielmo Palazzani.
MUNSTER: Andrew Conway; Darren Sweetnam, Jaco Taute, Rory Scannell, Ronan O’Mahony; Tyler Bleyendaal, Duncan Williams; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Dave O’Callaghan, Billy Holland, Peter O’Mahony (capt), Tommy O’Donnell, Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements: Rhys Marshall, James Cronin, Stephen Archer, Darren O’Shea, Conor Oliver, Angus Lloyd, David Johnston, Dan Goggin.
Referee: Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Nigel Correll (Ireland), Elia Rizzo (Italy)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Zebre to win: 12/1; Draw: 30/1; Munster to win: 1/20
Pre-Match Quotes: Rassie Erasmus (Munster) – “Zebre have the ability challenge you, especially at home like they did to Wasps for much of their Champions Cup game. They also put Connacht on the back foot this season. If you are in any way off your game they can surprise you. Last year for example, we beat them by just four points in Parma.
“It’s hard not to talk about Toulouse (next week) because that game is less than 14 days away, but we cannot look past this Zebre game. Ten of their guys played in Scotland last weekend and they will be at Test match level. Plus they played a game the weekend before last.
“Us, on the other hand, will be playing on the back of two free weekends with some guys coming in, some guys coming out, and some guys like Tyler (Bleyendaal) who haven’t played for a while.
“Our challenge is to go away from home, beat a PRO12 team to stay in the hunt for the semi-finals and not take our eye off the ball. Next week is the Toulouse game and that’s important but so too is the Zebre game.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Zebre – Points: Carlo Canna 66; Tries: Dries van Schalkwyk, Giovanbattista Venditti 4 each; Munster – Points: Tyler Bleyendaal 102; Tries: Ronan O’Mahony 7
2016/17 TEAM FORM: Zebre – Played 16, Won 1, Lost 15, 9 Points; L 59-5 v Ospreys (away), L 11-6 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), L 23-21 v Cardiff Blues (home), L 49-5 v Munster (away), L 33-28 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 19-14 v Edinburgh (away), L 33-10 v Leinster (home), L 31-24 v Scarlets (home), L 23-12 v Benetton Treviso (away), L 24-19 v Edinburgh (home), L 70-6 v Leinster (away), L 40-10 v Ospreys (home), L 42-7 v Scarlets (away), L 40-17 v Ulster (home), L 33-3 v Connacht (away), L 68-21 v Ulster (away); Munster – Played 17, Won 14, Lost 3, 63 Points; W 23-13 v Scarlets (away), L 24-23 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 20-16 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), W 28-14 v Edinburgh (home), W 49-5 v Zebre (home), Played , L 25-14 v Leinster (away), W 15-14 v Ulster (away), W 33-0 v Ospreys (home), W 46-3 v Benetton Treviso (home), W 16-15 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 29-17 v Leinster (home), W 16-9 v Connacht (away), W 10-9 v Edinburgh (away), W 45-17 v Newport Gwent Dragons (home), W 25-23 v Ospreys (away), L 30-21 v Scarlets (home), W 23-13 v Cardiff Blues (away)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, February 15, 2014 – Munster 36 Zebre 8, Musgrave Park
Friday, September 19, 2014 – Munster 31 Zebre 5, Thomond Park
Saturday, January 10, 2015 – Zebre 7 Munster 31, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Saturday, January 30, 2016 – Zebre 12 Munster 16, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Friday, March 25, 2016 – Munster 47 Zebre 0, Thomond Park
Saturday, October 1, 2016 – Munster 49 Zebre 5, Thomond Park
MATCH FACTS:
– Zebre’s most recent victory in the GUINNESS PRO12 was 19-14 over Edinburgh at BT Murrayfield at the end of October
– Zebre have not beaten an Irish province since winning 13-6 against Ulster in Parma in September 2014
– Munster have lost just once in the PRO12 since round 6: 21-13 at home to the Scarlets on February 24
– Munster’s away record in the PRO12 this season is an impressive won eight, lost one, the defeat being to Leinster at the Aviva Stadium on October 8
– The two sides have met on nine previous occasions with Muster victorious in every instance, seven times with a try-scoring bonus point, while Zebre have managed just two losing bonus points, both in Parma, in 2013 and 2016
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