Team Announcements Round 4

The teams for this weekend's Round 4 fixtures of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship have been named with all details of match officials and broadcast information below.

TEAM NEWS HEADLINES

#GLAvZEB

• Patrick Schickerling set for first competitive outing at Scotstoun Stadium after making debut for Glasgow Warriors last weekend
• Matteo Nocera makes his 50th appearance for Zebre Parma

#BENvSHA

• Michele Lamaro captains Benetton
• Hollywoodbets Sharks make three rotational changes to their matchday squad, all in the pack with the backline remaining the same

#CARvSCA

• Ben Thomas captains Cardiff Rugby
• Johnny Williams will make his 50th appearance for Scarlets

#EDIvSTO

• Ben Muncaster and Paddy Harrison named in Edinburgh Rugby starting XV
• Damian Willemse starts at flyhalf for the DHL Stormers with JJ Kotze, Willie Engelbrecht and Wandisile Simelane set to make their first appearances of the season if called upon from the bench

#LEIvMUN

• James Ryan returns to the Leinster side to partner RG Snyman in the second row
• Four changes see Alex Nankivell, Seán O’Brien, Stephen Archer and Gavin Coombes come into Munsters starting XV

#OSPvBUL

• Morgan Morris is set to make his 100th appearance for Ospreys
• Marcell Coetzee starts on the flank for the Vodacom Bulls

#ULSvCON

• Andy Warwick and Alan O’Connor in line for their 200th Ulster appearances with Nick Timoney in line for his 150th
• Joe Joyce and Josh Ioane return from injury and are named in Connacht starting XV

#DRAvLIO

• Cameron Jones set for debut for Dragons RFC if called upon from bench
• Asenathi Ntlabakanye will make his 50th appearance for Emirates Lions

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

Glasgow Warriors v Zebre Parma

Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA

Referee: Griffin Colby (SARU, league debut)

AR 1: Mike Adamson (SRU) AR 2: Chelsea Gillespie (SRU)

TMO: Morne Ferreira (SARU)

Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Glasgow Warriors: Kyle Rowe, Jamie Dobie, Huw Jones, Stafford McDowall (CAPT), Facundo Cordero, Adam Hastings, George Horne, Jamie Bhatti, Johnny Matthews, Zander Fagerson, Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings, Euan Ferrie, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey

Replacements: Grant Stewart, Nathan McBeth, Patrick Schickerling, Alex Samuel, Max Williamson, Henco Venter, Ben Afshar, Tom Jordan

Zebre Parma: Geronimo Prisciantelli, Jacopo Trulla, Fetuli Paea, Scott Gregory, Simone Gesi, Giacomo Da Re, Gonzalo Garcia, Luca Rizzoli, Giampietro Ribaldi, Matteo Nocera, Leonard Krumov, Andrea Zambonin, Giacomo Ferrari, Luca Andreani, Giovanni Licata (CAPT)

Replacements: Luca Bigi, Samuele Taddei, Ion Neculai, Matteo Canali, Iacopo Bianchi, Alessandro Fusco, Damiano Mazza, Ben Cambriani

Glasgow Warriors Head Coach Franco Smith said: “We were pleased to come away with five points from Cardiff last weekend, but we know there are still more levels to come from our performance. Zebre have shown this season already that they will be a match for any team, and will compete hard in all areas of the field tomorrow evening. We look forward to running out in front of the Warrior Nation tomorrow night, as we look to continue our recent run of results against a tough opponent.”

Zebre Parma Head Coach Massimo Brunello said: "We are playing at the home of champions, so it will inevitably be a very difficult match. Having one less day of rest, we have made a few changes, but this does not mean we will approach the game with a closed mindset. We need to improve in certain areas, such as discipline, which was our weakest point against the Stormers. We are ready to battle in every aspect of the game. The Warriors are a team that loves to play in open spaces, so we must be very vigilant in defence."

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12

Benetton v Hollywoodbets Sharks

Stadio Monigo, Treviso – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA & SA

Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU, 47th league game)

AR 1: Federico Vedovelli (FIR) AR 2: Alex Frasson (FIR)

TMO: Colin Brett (SRU)

Live on: Sky Italia, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Benetton: Rhyno Smith, Ignacio Mendy, Tommaso Menoncello, Ignacio Brex, Paolo Odogwu, Jacob Umaga, Alessandro Garbisi, Mirco Spagnolo, Siua Maile, Enzo Avaca, Niccolò Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Alessandro Izekor, Michele Lamaro (CAPT), Lorenzo Cannone

Replacements: Bautista Bernasconi, Aminu Destiny, Marcos Gallorini, Riccardo Favretto, Eli Snyman, Sebastian Negri, Andy Uren, Leonardo Marin

Hollywoodbets Sharks: Jordan Hendrikse, Eduan Keyter, Jurenzo Julius, Andre Esterhuizen, Ethan Hooker, Siya Masuku, Jaden Hendrikse, Trevor Nyakane, Fez Mbatha, Ruan Dreyer, Jason Jenkins, Gerbrandt Grobler, James Venter, Vincent Tshituka (CAPT), Phepsi Buthelezi

Replacements: Dylan Richardson, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Hanro Jacobs, Corne’ Rahl, Emmanuel Tshituka, Bradley Davids, Lionel Cronje, Francois Venter

Benetton Head Coach Marco Bortolami said: “There is a small rotation in the 23 to give those who have played in the last 3 weeks a rest. The injuries in the front row give Avaca and Gallorini the opportunity to demonstrate their value and I am sure they will help the team perform at their best. The whole group is focused and motivated to perform at their best and the week of preparation has been very good. Countering the power of their forwards and the two centres will be the key to the match”

Cardiff Rugby v Scarlets

Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA & SA

Referee: Craig Evans (WRU, 59th league game)

AR 1: Mike English (WRU) AR 2: Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU)

TMO: Keith David (WRU)

Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Cardiff Rugby: Cam Winnett, Mason Grady, Rey Lee-Lo, Ben Thomas (CAPT), Harri Millard; Tinus de Beer, Ellis Bevan, Ed Byrne, Efan Daniel, Keiron Assiratti, Josh McNally, Teddy Williams, Ben Donnell, Dan Thomas, Alun Lawrence

Replacements: Daf Hughes, Danny Southworth, Rhys Litterick, Mackenzie Martin, James Botham, Aled Davies, Callum Sheedy, Gabriel Hamer-Webb

Scarlets: Ioan Nicholas, Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Eddie James, Blair Murray, Ioan Lloyd, Gareth Davies, Kemsley Mathias, Marnus van der Merwe, Henry Thomas, Sam Lousi, Max Douglas, Josh Macleod (CAPT), Dan Davis, Taine Plumtree

Replacements: Ryan Elias, Alec Hepburn, Sam Wainwright, Alex Craig, Carwyn Tuipulotu, Efan Jones, Sam Costelow, Macs Page

Cardiff Rugby Head Coach Matt Sherratt said: “It promises to be a great occasion on Saturday afternoon with a packed Cardiff Arms Park and two teams that like to play attacking rugby. They will be hugely motivated and will bring a lot of physicality We've planned on them coming here and being at their absolute best and we’re excited for that challenge. We played some great attacking rugby last weekend and I was proud of the way the team fought back despite being down to 14 men, but this week we need an all-round performance and are determined to give our fans something to be proud of.”

Scarlets Head Coach Dwayne Peel said: “These are always competitive fixtures, like the one at Parc y Scarlets a couple of weeks ago. The Arms Park is a fast track and we always seem to have a great support there. All the West Walians living in Cardiff come out to support us. It is always a good atmosphere and a sea of red; hopefully it will be the same on Saturday and we can get a win for them. It is a good healthy rivalry, two teams who like to play rugby, it will be a good occasion.”

Edinburgh Rugby v DHL Stormers

Hive Stadium, Edinburgh – KO 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA & SA

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU, 102nd league game)

AR 1: Hollie Davidson (SRU) AR 2: Rob McDowell (SRU)

TMO: Tom Spurrier (WRU)

Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Edinburgh Rugby: Wes Goosen, Darcy Graham, Mosese Tuipulotu, Matt Scott, Duhan van der Merwe, Ross Thompson, Ali Price, Pierre Schoeman, Paddy Harrison, Paul Hill, Jamie Hodgson, Grant Gilchrist (CAPT), Jamie Ritchie, Ben Muncaster, Magnus Bradbury

Replacements: Harri Morris, Boan Venter, D’arcy Rae, Marshall Sykes, Luke Crosbie, Ben Vellacott, Cammy Scott, Matt Currie

DHL Stormers: Warrick Gelant, Angelo Davids, Ruhan Nel, Dan du Plessis (CAPT), Leolin Zas, Damian Willemse, Paul de Wet, Brok Harris, Andre-Hugo Venter, Neethling Fouche, JD Schickerling, Ruben van Heerden, Dave Ewers, Ben-Jason Dixon,  Keke Morabe

Replacements: JJ Kotze, Sti Sithole, Sazi Sandi, Adre Smith, Marcel Theunissen, Willie Engelbrecht, Stefan Ungerer, Wandisile Simelane

Edinburgh Rugby Head Coach Sean Everitt said: “We know that last week’s performance was unacceptable, but we also know what went wrong for us. The DHL Stormers bring similar challenges to the Lions and Bulls, being hugely physical and fast in transition, but we know if we perform at our best, we’ll be able to get a result.”

DHL Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson said: "We know how tough it is to win here in Edinburgh, so it will take a big effort to back-up our win in Italy last week. There are still a number of areas we would like to improve in, so this is a good opportunity for us to continue the upward trajectory in our game."

Leinster v Munster

Croke Park, Dublin – KO 17.45 IRE & UK / 18.45 ITA & SA

Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU, 46th league game)

AR 1: Peter Martin (IRFU) AR 2: Keane Davison (IRFU)

TMO: Mark Patton (IRFU)

Live on: RTÉ, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Leinster: Hugo Keenan, Liam Turner, Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe, Ciarán Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Lee Barron, Tadhg Furlong, RG Snyman, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (CAPT)

Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, Ryan Baird, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Harry Byrne

Munster: Mike Haley, Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Seán O'Brien, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey, Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (CAPT), Jack O'Donoghue, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Kieran Ryan, John Ryan, Tom Ahern, Ruadhán Quinn, Conor Murray, Tony Butler, Shay McCarthy

Leinster Assistant Coach Robin McBryde said: "The competition for places now has got to be at its highest because the players who played in the pre-season games leading into the season have been given their opportunities. The internationals are back so we need to get them back up to speed, which they now are.” "So if you're not at your best now, your opportunities are going to be far and few between. The nature of Munster and the threat that they pose, that focuses the mind. So, hopefully, we'll to see all of those players at their best on Saturday, knowing that they've got to make the most of their opportunity."

Ospreys v Vodacom Bulls

Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea – KO 19.35  IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA

Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU, 20th league game)

AR 1: Ben Breakspear (WRU) AR 2: Ben Connor (WRU)

TMO: Colin Stanley (IRFU)

Live on: S4C, SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Ospreys: Max Nagy, Iestyn Hopkins, Owen Watkin, Keiran Williams, Ryan Conbeer, Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Gareth Thomas, Dewi Lake, Tom Botha, James Ratti, Adam Beard, Jac Morgan (CAPT), Justin Tipuric, Morgan Morris

Replacements: Sam Parry, Garyn Phillips, Ben Warren, Lewis Jones, Will Greatbanks, Kieran Hardy, Luke Scully, Jack Walsh

Vodacom Bulls: Willie le Roux, Sebastian de Klerk, Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Boeta Chamberlain, Embrose Papier, Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw, Ruan Vermaak, Ruan Nortje (CAPT), Marcell Coetzee, Reinhardt Ludwig, Elrigh Louw

Replacements: Akker van der Merwe, Alulutho Tshakweni, Francois Klopper, Cobus Wiese, Cameron Hanekom, Keagan Johannes, Stedman Gans, Aphiwe Dyantyi

Ospreys Head Coach Toby Booth said: “When you play South African teams, you know you’re going to be in for a physical encounter. You can’t look too far past the physical side of the breakdown. Last time we played them out there, we did some nice stuff, but we weren’t accurate enough and played a big price. I know the boys will be energised and up for this one but it’s important that we have the end product to show for that.”

Ulster v Connacht

Kingspan Stadium, Belfast – KO 20.00  IRE & UK / 21.00  ITA & SA

Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 98th league game)

AR 1: Andrew Cole (IRFU) AR 2: Robbie Jenkinson (IRFU)

TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)

Live on: BBC NI, TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Ulster: Andrew Warwick, John Andrew, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson (CAPT), Kieran Treadwell, David McCann, Sean Reffell, Nick Timoney, Ethan McIlroy, Werner Kok, Stewart Moore, Jude Postlethwaite, Jacob Stockdale, Aidan Morgan, John Cooney

Replacements: James McCormick, Eric O’Sullivan, Corrie Barrett, Alan O’Connor, Marcus Rea, Nathan Doak, Ben Carson, Mike Lowry

Connacht: Santiago Cordero, Mack Hansen, Piers O’Conor, Bundee Aki, Shayne Bolton, Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy, Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Joe Joyce, Josh Murphy, Cian Prendergast (CAPT), Sean O’Brien, Paul Boyle

Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Temi Lasisi, Oisin Dowling, David O’Connor, Caolin Blade, Cathal Forde, Conor Oliver

Connacht Head Coach Pete Wilkins said: “An interpro trip to Belfast is always one of the great challenges in a Vodacom URC season. There were elements of last weekend’s game in Wales that were pleasing, but our overall performance will need to improve if we’re to earn a win tomorrow. History has shown this is often a one-score game so we must make sure we produce an 80-minute performance full of accuracy and intent.”

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13

Dragons RFC v Emirates Lions

Rodney Parade, Newport – KO 14.30 IRE & UK / 15.30 ITA & SA

Referee: Fillipo Russo (FIR, 2nd league game)

AR 1: Adam Jones (WRU) AR 2: Rhys Jones (WRU)

TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)

Live on: BBC Wales, SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Dragons RFC: Angus O’Brien, Rio Dyer, Joe Westwood, Aneurin Owen, Jared Rosser, Lloyd Evans, Rhodri Williams; Rodrigo Martinez, Brodie Coghlan, Leon Brown, Ben Carter (CAPT), Matthew Screech, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Harri Keddie, Taine Basham

Replacements: Oli Burrows, Cameron Jones, Chris Coleman, Ryan Woodman, Dan Lydiate, Dane Blacker, Will Reed, Ewan Rosser

Emirates Lions: Quan Horn, Rabz Maxwane, Erich Cronje, Rynhardt Jonker, Edwill van der Merwe, Nico Steyn, Morne van den Berg, Juan Schoeman, Franco Marais, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Reinard Nothnagel, Darrien Landsberg, JC Pretorius, Jarod Cairns, Francke Horn (CAPT)

Replacements: PJ Botha, Heiko Pohlmann, Conraad van Vuuren, Ruben Schoeman, Renzo du Plessis, Sanele Nohamba, Marius Louw, Henco van Wyk

Dragons RFC Head Coach Dai Flanagan said: “The Lions are a very, very physical, and tough team, you can see that they are united and their coach Ivan van Rooyen has done a superb job.” “I enjoy watching them play because they pick up players who you have never heard of and make them into stars.