Head coach Danny Wilson insists his Cardiff Blues players should be braced for a completely different Zebre team to the one they comfortably beat on the opening round of the season.

Back in September, the Blues triumphed 61-13 at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park as Rhys Patchell grabbed a nine-minute hat-trick.

Since then however they have struggled with four consecutive GUINNESS PRO12 defeats to the four Irish provinces.

All four of those games have come away from home and the Welsh side again hit the road to play Zebre at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi on Saturday.

Wilson’s side can take heart from the fact that their only defeat to an Italian opponent in any tournament since March 2014 was on a trip to BenettonTreviso last February.

But he insists his players must take care of their own affairs rather than concern themselves with their opponents – who recorded their ninth victory in GUINNESS PRO12 history when they beat Edinburgh last weekend.

“Zebre were depleted when we played them at the start of the season, but we played some excellent rugby that day and really put them to the sword with high tempo and attacking rugby,” said Wilson.

“We want to back that performance up against the same opposition, but we fully expect them to have eight or nine internationals back in from the Rugby World Cup.

"They are a very different team now and beat Edinburgh out in Italy last week which shows what they are capable of.”
Blues captain Josh Navidi will hit a century of appearances when he leads out the team in Parma with Wilson making four changes from the starting line-up that claimed a bonus point in Ulster last time out.

Prop Taufa'ao Filise clocks up his 199^th appearance in the front row while Ellis Jenkins returns in the No.7 shirt, with GUINNESS PRO12 top try scorer Josh Turnbull moving to blindside and Navidi to back-row.

On the replacements bench, scrum half Lloyd Williams returns to the squad while back row Manoa Vosawai faces his countryman.

Welsh international Tom James also makes his first appearance since the opening day victory over Zebre while USA international Blaine Scully, a summer recruit from Leicester Tigers, will make his debut after being named on the wing – with Wilson excited to see what he could do.

He added: “Blaine is a real leader and athlete in terms of his physical prowess. He is very brave and good under the high ball, he can play wing or full back.”

The two sides have met on seven previous occasions with Zebre victorious twice, doing the double in the 2013/2014 season.

Zebre have never previously won back-to-back GUINNESS PRO12 games, with coach Andrea De Rossi making two changes for the visit of Cardiff Blues.

Outside centre Giulio Bisegni returns to the starting XV after recovering from an injury suffered last March and replaces Michele Visentin while Australian Luke Burgess gets promoted to the number nine jersey in the place of benched Marcello Violi.

Dion Berryman switches to full-back and Kayle Van Zyl to the right wing while the forward pack stays the same as that which helped the team to victory over Edinburgh.

“The win against Edinburgh should not and can not remain an isolated case in our season,” said De Rossi.

“We are confident in our abilities, the team will give their best to do something historic trying to seize the second consecutive win.

“I am very happy with the return of Bisegni after six months of absence and I am sure that the public in Parma will grow in number and support.”

At Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi .2pm local time (1pm UK & Ireland). Live on RAI Sport
Referee: David Wilkinson, (IRFU,33rd competition game)
Assistant Referees: Matteo Liperini, Stefano Bolzonella (both FIR)
Citing Commissioner: Alberto Recaldini (FIR)
TMO: Alan Falzone (FIR)