Zebre V Edinburgh

Pierre Schoeman returns from a four-week suspension to feature in the Edinburgh starting XV to face Zebre at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in the Guinness PRO14 tomorrow evening (Friday 26 October, kick-off 7pm BST/ 8pm local time) – live on Free Sports.

The inclusion of the loosehead prop is one of ten changes made to the capital side as Head Coach Richard Cockerill hands a debut to Fosroc Scottish Rugby Academy product and second-row, Jamie Hodgson.

Henry Pyrgos captains the side which features six internationalists, including Scotland caps Dougie Fife, Ross Ford, Simon Berghan and Luke Hamilton, while Duhan van der Merwe returns to the starting line-up after missing both of Edinburgh’s Heineken Champions Cup fixtures through injury.

Elsewhere, Italian international prop Pietro Ceccarelli, Callum Atkinson, Mungo Mason and Jason Baggott are all selected on the bench and if involved will make their first competitive appearance for the capital side.

Ahead of the fixture, Head Coach Richard Cockerill, said: “Beating Toulon last weekend was a good step forward in our development, but now we’ve got to set that standard every time we play. We’ve got to do it again against Zebre this weekend.

“We’ve obviously had guys away training with Scotland, but we’ve got a good squad and we’ve got to utilise it.

“Getting a win in Zebre is as important as anywhere else, so we’ve just got to get it right. It’s important that we keep up the consistency in our performances.”

Fife is named at fullback alongside wingers Van der Merwe and Darcy Graham, with the latter retaining his position on the flank following a string of impressive performances both domestically and in Europe.

In the midfield, James Johnstone is partnered by Chris Dean, who gets the nod at inside centre following his try-scoring performance from the bench against RC Toulon last weekend. Simon Hickey is reinstated to the starting XV alongside Pyrgos at half-back.

A revamped front-row sees Ford make his second start of the season alongside props Schoeman and Berghan, while Stewart’s Melville products Hodgson and Callum Hunter-Hill form the second-row.

Fijian international Bill Mata starts at number eight, with Luke Crosbie and Hamilton completing the back-row.



Edinburgh team to face Zebre at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in the Guinness PRO14 on Friday 26 October, kick-off 7pm BST/ 8pm local time – live on Free Sports



15. Dougie Fife (114)



14. Darcy Graham (9)

13. James Johnstone (25)

12. Chris Dean (71)

11. Duhan van der Merwe (23)



10. Simon Hickey (7)

9. Henry Pyrgos (7) CAPTAIN



1. Pierre Schoeman (4)

2. Ross Ford (185)

3. Simon Berghan (55)

4. Jamie Hodgson *

5. Callum Hunter-Hill (2)

6. Luke Hamilton (6)

7. Luke Crosbie (15)

8. Bill Mata (43)



Replacements: 16. David Cherry (2); 17. Rory Sutherland (67); 18. Pietro Ceccarelli*; 19. Callum Atkinson*; 20. Mungo Mason*; 21. Sean Kennedy (64); 22. Jason Baggott*; 23. Juan Pablo Socino (4)



*Edinburgh competitive debut

A surprisngly good team given how many we're missing, but that's an incredibly green 2nd row! Hodgeson and Atkins making their professional debuts and CHH only making his 3rd pro appearance (0 starts).

I'd like to think we have enough in the rest of the team to make up for it, but Zebre are no mugs these days and will have a first choice team available.

Thats a really good team, all things considered - i'll be watching the second row with interest....this is a test of how good the academy is functioning, both Hodgson and CHH were very good at youth level.

I'm not sure if Zebre will be full strength, are Italy not playing Ireland on the same weekend as we are playing Wales?

A good point EST, and I think that game is in the USA!

I'm not sure if Italy will release players back for this game, and wouldn't honestly be able to say how strong they are, relatively speaking.

That really is a much stronger team than I expected, it just shows how much the depth has improved at Edinburgh. Interesting to see Crosbie at 7, and not Hamilton. I imagine they will be playing more a right/left system.

I believe zebre have lost 10 players to the national team

Well in that case there's no excuses here - even with our under 12s playing in the second row we should be winning this if we have genuine playoff ambitions.

don't care what anyone says. Italy have a major strength in depth issue across 3/4s of thier national team and with Zebre losing 10 of their stronger players, whats left to play against Edinburgh should really be beaten, and beaten well by Edinburgh!

It is not a bad team at all and probably gives us a few clues to who might line up for Scotland against Wales the following week as well. I imagine the odds on Fife or Pyrgos being in the squad have just lengthened a fair bit. That might work in Edinburgh's favour as well though, as they are more likely to get them back for the following game against Scarlets as well, which should be a far more competitive game.

Good to see what the newbies can do, hopefully they will show up and make Cockers believe they can play at this level.

Edinburgh really should be winning this game against a weakened Zebre side.

Considering we're unable to play any exiles in the first Scotland game, that's a pretty decent team for Edinburgh, certainly better than some teams we've put out before during international windows.

Hopefully a few of the younger lads step up in the same way Graham has.

Strong first 15 outside of 2nd row. The bench is pretty weak.

Edinburgh really need to get a good lead going into the last 20. Zebre will be no pushovers even with 10 players gone at home. Glasgow (and I) thought that way with Southern Kings and it came back to haunt us.

After the luvvies heroics on Saturday I'm predicting a decisive win for Zebre because that's how the organic fairtrade cookie crumbles.

Turns out despite having 14 (sorry got my initial figure wrong) in the Italy squad, 10 have been released back and the zebre team is very similar to the one that beat Bristol in the challenge Cup. Might be a harder game than first imagined.

Crafty Italians, doing a bit of a double take.

They clearly fancy this as a winnable game and so it will be a tough hit out and probably a good reflection of where Edinburgh are in terms of squad depth. I still fancy them to win though.

The handicap odds slipped from us being 6 point favourites to 4 point favourites. It's likely to be closer than many on here imagine.

Don't worry though, I'll be sacrificing my usual £20 betting against Edinburgh to keep things right.

15 Francois Brummer

14 Mattia Bellini

13 Giulio Bisegni

12 Tommaso Castello (cap)

11 Gabriele Di Giulio *

10 Carlo Canna

9 Guglielmo Palazzani

8 Renato Giammarioli *

7 Johan Meyer

6 Jacopo Bianchi *

5 George Biagi

4 David Sisi

3 Dario Chistolini

2 Oliviero Fabiani

1 Andrea Lovotti *

available

16 Luhandre Luus *

17 Daniele Rimpelli *

18 Giosué Zilocchi *

19 Leonard Krumov *

20 Apisai Tauyavuca

21 Riccardo Raffaele *

22 Tommaso Boni *

23 Paula Balekana

Don't recognise to many names there, I suspect O'Shea has kept a good few of his Italian starters back for the Ireland game.

I initially read their 15's name wrong at first glance.....

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:I initially read their 15's name wrong at first glance.....

Me too, but then I thought, who'd name a fullback Francis?

tigertattie wrote:

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:I initially read their 15's name wrong at first glance.....

Me too, but then I thought, who'd name a fullback Francis?

Francis Bummer has a nice ring to it......

No it's the number 8 who seves in the Deli after the match.

Rena to Gimme a roll eh?

Right, who have we got watching tonight?

Urgh, back to one out passing and pick and goes getting nowhere. It just doesn't work!!!

Zebre defence is very aggressive - werew not going to run through them.

I bet our tactics for the next 70 minutes is to try though...

This is awful and so slow from Pyrgos

Painfully slow by Pyrgos. Why all the standing around?

Bit of quick ball and we’re over, whoop!

Now that's  more like it! Great try from a big carry from Hamilton

The young locks have aquitted themselves well. They're both massive!

Definitely Hamilton’s best game since he joined, he’s doing well

Hamilton is having a great 10 mins

To be fair after the first few games when he was incredibly average I thought he's been decent. A good squad player to have.

He’s definitely been steadily getting better, but I think this is the first time he’s really stood out in our back row. Long may it continue

That Irish co commentator is spot on - we need to bring more pace into the game

Could do with another try

Why we going for points on there with zebre on a warning??

Not a great few minutes!

I know he wants to win at all costs but we've got to be more positive

To be honest I can see why we went for the kick, 16-0 is a big lead and would make them come out and chase the game in the 2nd half and would put pressure on them not to make mistakes. 13-3 though is a very different place to be

Not a great start!

That is such an edinburgh start to the 2nd half, what a load of pish all round

Ross ford being very Ross Ford-like

Ford has looked like a dinosaur this game

We’re really missing McInally!

Oh ffs Fife

Oh dear lord, dougie wtf?!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Ford has looked like a dinosaur this game

He is exactly the kind of player Edinburgh should have got rid a couple of years ago, if not more.

Must cost a fortune as well.

Premature call from the ref - the ball was there. Saying that Pyrgos should have got the ball off Ford earlier.

Need to get Ford off - he's made negative ground in his carries

Some inconsistent reffing tonight