Conference A leaders Glasgow Warriors head to Italy in Round 13 of the Guinness PRO14 to face sixth-placed Zebre Rugby at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi. Zebre head into the game having lost back-to-back Italian derbies against Benetton while the Warriors won one lost one against Edinburgh in the 1872 Cup. What’s at stake? The Warriors, despite their slip up against Edinburgh, still lead Conference A with 11 wins from 12 and are 15 points of chasers Munster. Their 17-0 win over their Scottish rivals in Round 12 got them back on track as they look to maintain their distance from the chasing pack. For Zebre, more points will be vital if they’re to stay above Ospreys and off the bottom of the Conference while Connacht are just seven points ahead of the Italians. Team News (Zebre): Zebre make five changes to the team that was beaten by Benetton last weekend with Edoardo Padovani making his first start of the season. There’s a club debut for Rory Parata with Giovanbattista Venditti on the wing on his return from injury while Johan Meyer and Tommaso D’Apice are back in the pack. Team News (Glasgow): Adam Ashe is named in a Glasgow Warriors squad for the first time since October following surgery on his ankle. The Warriors have a brand new front row of Alex Allan, Siua Halanukonuka and Pat MacArthur with George Horne and Finn Russell starting together for the first time at nine and ten. Talking Points: Glasgow Warriors Head Coach Dave Rennie said: “Zebre have been impressive. In attack, especially, they lead the competition in a number of stats. “They carry well, make a lot of line breaks and like to offload. They’re a different team at home and have made it really tough for a lot of teams in Parma. “We’re going to have to defend really well and build on our ability to maintain pressure and go through the phases which was better last week.” Key Battle: Edoardo Padovani v Ruaridh Jackson Padovani returns to Italy after a spell with French giants Toulon and will be looking to show what he’s learned on his season debut against Warriors. Jackson returns to Glasgow over the summer after periods at Wasps and Harlequins and will hope that some strong performances can keep him in Scotland contention. The 29-year-old came off the bench against Australia at BT Murrayfield in November and will be optimistic of more caps come the Six Nations. Key Stat: The Warriors have lost three of their last four away games in all competitions, but have not lost to an Italian opponent since Benetton visited Firhill in September 2011. Did you know? The two sides have met on ten previous occasions with Glasgow victorious in each instance Zebre: Edoardo Padovani, Rory Parata, Giulio Bisegni, Tommaso Castello, Giovanbattista Venditti, Carlo Canna, Marcello Violi, Andrea Lovotti, Tommaso D’Apice, Eduardo Bello, David Sisi, George Biagi, Maxime Mbandà, Johan Meyer, Renato Giammarioli Replacements: Luhandre Luus, Andrea De Marchi, Roberto Tenga, Valerio Bernabò, Derick Minnie, Guglielmo Palazzani, Maicol Azzolini, Ciaran Gaffney Glasgow Warriors: Ruaridh Jackson, Lee Jones, Huw Jones, Nick Grigg, Niko Matawalu, Finn Russell, George Horne, Alex Allan, Pat MacArthur, Siua Halanukonuka, Greg Peterson, Jonny Gray, Rob Harley, Chris Fusaro, Matt Fagerson Replacements: James Malcolm, Oli Kebble, D’Arcy Rae, Kiran McDonald, Adam Ashe, Henry Pyrgos, Peter Horne, Brandon Thomson Match Officials: Referee: Andrew Brace Assistant Referees: Eddie Hogan-O’Connell, Manuel Bottino Citing Commissioner: Maurizio Vancini TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU) TV: Live on Eurosport and BBC Alba Guinness PRO14 Final 2018 Ticket Information: Fans can save up to 20% on selected tickets, and prices start at just €30 for adults and €5 for children, and can be booked via www.ticketmaster.ie
