Team Announcements: Zebre Parma Vs Cardiff Rugby

The Zebre Parma team to face Cardiff sees the return of several internationals in Simone Gesi, Luca Rizzoli, and captain Lucchin, with David Sisi fully recovered from injury.

Zebre Parma: Richard Kriel, Kobus van Wyk, Erich Cronjé, Enrico Lucchin (CAPT), Simone Gesi, Geronimo Prisciantelli, Chris Cook, Paolo Buonfiglio, Jacques Du Toit, Muhamed Hasa, Jan Uys, Leonard Krumov, Luca Andreani, Iacopo Bianchi, Giovanni Licata  Replacements: Giampietro Ribaldi, Luca Rizzoli, Riccardo Genovese, David Sisi, Matt Kvesic, Alessandro Fusco, Antonio Rizzi, Jacopo Trulla

James Botham and Rhys Priestland return to the Cardiff starting line-up.

The duo have been sidelined with injuries in recent weeks, and last featured against Leinster, but they are now available for the trip to Parma as Dai Young’s men head into the final three rounds of the Championship with all to play for.

The Blue and Blacks are currently five points short of the play-off places and top the Welsh shield, with a trip to Connacht and the Judgement Day clash against Ospreys on the horizon.

Director of rugby, Young welcomes Mason Grady back into the midfield as the young centre returns from international duty, where he won his first cap during Wales’ Guinness Six Nations campaign.

Elsewhere, Teddy Williams links up with captain Josh Turnbull at second row, while Shane Lewis-Hughes makes his first start since October, joining Botham and number eight James Ratti in the back row.

The pack is completed by a front row trio of Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher and Keiron Assiratti while the club’s record appearance maker, Lloyd Williams, partners Priestland at half back.

Max Llewellyn combines with Grady in midfield with the line-up completed by a back three of Jason Harries, Owen Lane and Ben Thomas.

Cardiff: Ben Thomas; Owen Lane, Mason Grady, Max Llewellyn, Jason Harries; Rhys Priestland, Lloyd Williams; Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher, Keiron Assiratti, Josh Turnbull (capt.), Teddy Williams, Shane Lewis-Hughes, James Botham, James Ratti

Replacements: Kristian Dacey, Rhys Carré, Will Davies-King, Seb Davies, Thomas Young, Ellis Bevan, Jarrod Evans, Matthew Morgan