**Here we go again. The Guinness PRO14 is ready for lift-off once more and it all begins in Parma on Friday evening as Zebre host Cardiff Blues.** These two sides each finished sixth in their respective Conferences last season and will be eager to improve on that this time around. Both have made shrewd additions to their squads and picked up impressive post-restart derby wins in August, with Zebre beating Benetton and Blues overcoming Ospreys. They will each be looking to continue that momentum into the new campaign following the short turnaround and there will be the welcome sight of supporters in the stadium, with 1,000 fans permitted entry into Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi to cheer the hosts on. # What’s at stake? For Zebre, this represents an early chance to make their presence felt and get points on the board. They lost their first six league matches last season and will be desperate to avoid a repeat, with home games like this one earmarked as opportunities to show their mettle. John Mulvihill’s Blues also had a slow start to last season, winning just one of their opening five matches. A trip to Italy is a potentially tricky way to open up the new campaign but the side from the Welsh capital will be determined to ensure it is a test they pass with flying colours. Blues will be fully aware that these are the sort of away games they must succeed in if they are to improve on last season’s lower mid-table finish. # What happened last time they met? Zebre and Cardiff Blues did not clash last season and you have to go back to November 2018 for their most recent encounter. Blues won that one 37-0 at Cardiff Arms Park to settle a score from earlier in the season, when Zebre staged a thrilling fightback from 21-0 down to earn a 26-24 victory. Hooker Oliviero Fabiani scored the dramatic late winning try and starts on Friday; he will be hoping to repeat the feat.
