Leinster boast a formidable record against Italian opposition but captain Jamie Heasilp insists a repeat of last weekend’s performance will see that tarnished on Saturday.

A 34-23 defeat to rivals Munster at the Aviva Stadium left Leinster with just two wins from five in the GUINNESS PRO12 – but they haven’t lost back-to-back games in the same season since 2010/11.

Head coach Matt O’Connor makes a handful of changes for the trip to Zebre, with hooker Richardt Strauss making his first start in five months and his 95th appearance for the province.

In the second row, Mike McCarthy is partnered by Kane Douglas, while Rhys Ruddock is joined in the back row by Jack Conan and academy player Josh van der Flier.

Rob Kearney will captain the team from full-back while Zane Kirchner returns on the right wing – Isaac Boss and Ian Madigan start as the half-back partnership

And Noel Reid and Gordon D'Arcy pull on the number 12 and 13 jerseys respectively, Reid's first game since going off after less than a minute in the round one game away to Glasgow.

The Leinstermen have lost only one of their 16 previous clashes with Italian opponents in the PRO12, winning all four previous fixtures against Zebre and gaining a try bonus point on each occasion.

But Heaslip, who will start from the bench in Parma, has no interest in taking Zebre lightly this weekend.

“If you play a good game but you get out-performed you would walk away and think 'fair enough',” he said. “You did what you did, but you didn't get the outcome – but we didn't play to the standard we have set ourselves (against Munster) and we hold ourselves accountable for it.

“That just simply won't be good enough this week against Zebre if we're like that and it won't be good enough going forward so we have got to rectify that.”

The clash is Zebre’s third consecutive game on home soil, following victory over Ulster and a narrow defeat to the unbeaten Ospreys – and they have lost just twice in their last seven fixtures at Stadio XXV Aprile.

Head coach Andrea Cavinato makes three changes from the side that almost overturned the Ospreys, with Italy international Tommaso Iannone making his first appearance of the GUINNESS PRO12 season.

Edoardo Padovani returns at fly-half while Quintin Geldenhuys joins captain Marco Bortolami in the second row and centre Giulio Bisegni, who misses the game through injury, insists the club is making great strides already this season.

“We're working on our attacking moves at the moment, although we need time to get used to each other as a lot of guys were signed in the summer,” he said.

“We are getting stronger and more effective, but we are still lacking some self-belief especially when we face the crucial part of each game.

“In those occasions we tend to lose our accuracy but we should stay focused for the entire 80 minutes.”

At Stadio XXV Aprile, 4pm local time (3pm Ireland & UK) Live on Nuvolari
Referee: Neil Paterson (SRU, 63rd competition game)
Assistant Referees: Matteo Liperini, Francesco Russo (both FIR)
Citing Commissioner: Achille Reali (FIR)
TMO: Carlo Damasco (FIR)

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