URC: Cian Prendergast returns for Connacht against Scarlets while Bismarck du Plessis is back for the Bulls

The United Rugby Championship continues on Friday as two matches take place, with Benetton and Connacht hosting the Bulls and Scarlets in their respective fixtures.

Benetton v Bulls

Benetton head coach Marco Bortolami has rung the changes to his starting XV for this encounter after they suffered a heavy defeat in Edinburgh a week ago.

In the back three Giacomo Da Re comes in at full-back where he replaces Edoardo Padovani, while Mattia Bellini takes over from Ratuva Tavuyara on the left wing and Ignacio Mendy comes in for Mattia Bellini on the right wing.

Marco Zanon retains his place as inside centre, while Ignacio Brex lines up next to him in the number 13 jersey. Tomas Albornoz continues at fly-half and forms a halfback partnership with captain Dewaldt Duvenage.

In the forwards, Lorenzo Cannon starts at number eight and he is joined in the back-row by Michele Lamaro and Manuel Zuliani, who replace Toa Halafihi and Braam Steyn as the team’s starting flankers.

Elsewhere, Federico Ruzza and Scott Scrafton come in to the run-on side as the first choice locks with Giacomo Nicotera packing down at hooker alongside the starting props Simone Ferrari and Ivan Nemer.

Meanwhile, Bulls director of rugby Jake White has made a number of changes to his side for the final match of their United Rugby Championship tour.

Most of the changes to the team for this match are mostly rotational, with a number of players promoted from the bench from the side that lost to Munster in Ireland last weekend.

Johan Goosen (fly-half) and Cornal Hendricks (utility back) are ruled out due to injury, which means the Bulls’ backline has to be tweaked.

At the back, David Kriel (right wing), Stedman Gans (centre) and Chris Smith (fly-half) will all start against Benetton in a replay of last year’s Rainbow Cup final, which the Italian side won.

Up front, White has named Marco van Staden (flanker), Janko Swanepoel (lock), Francois Klopppers (prop), Bismarck du Plessis (hooker) and Gerhard Steenekamp (prop) to start.

Players who started against Munster last weekend but will now be required to make an impact off the bench are WJ Steenkamp (flanker), Walt Steenkamp (lock), Mornay Smith (prop), Simphiwe Matanzima (prop) and Jan-Hendrik Wessels (hooker).

The teams:

Benetton: 15 Giacomo Da Re, 14 Ignacio Mendy, 13 Ignacio Brex, 12 Marco Zanon, 11 Mattia Bellini, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage (c), 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Lamaro, 6 Manuel Zuliani, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Scott Scrafton, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Ivan Nemer
Replacements: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Thomas Gallo, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 Niccolò Cannone, 20 Toa Halafihi, 21 Manfredi Albanese, 22 Tommaso Menoncello, 23 Marcus Watson

Bulls: 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14 David Kriel, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Wandisile Simelane, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Marco van Staden, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Janko Swanepoel, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Walt Steenkamp, 20 WJ Steenkamp, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Stravino Jacobs

Venue: Stadio Monigo
Kick-off: 18:30 local (17:30 BST 16:30 GMT)
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Filippo Russo (Italy), Alex Frasson (Italy)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)

Connacht v Scarlets

Three Connacht players who featured in the recent Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa have returned to their matchday squad for Friday’s URC clash with Scarlets at The Sportsground.

Cian Prendergast is named in the starting XV while Dylan Tierney-Martin and Cathal Forde are among the replacements.

In total there are six changes from last week’s side, with Denis Buckley, Leva Fifita, Conor Oliver, Kieran Marmion and Tiernan O’Halloran also coming into the starting line-up.

Buckley partners Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham in the front-row while Niall Murray continues in the second-row alongside Fifita. Paul Boyle completes the back-row with Prendergast and Oliver.

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Jack Carty captains the side from fly-half with Marmion alongside him, while the centre partnership of David Hawkshaw and Byron Ralston is unchanged. Wingers Mack Hansen and John Porch are also retained.

Meanwhile, the Scarlets have named a starting XV showing three personnel changes for this fixture.

Flanker Dan Thomas, who has joined on a two-match loan deal from Bristol Bears, is named in the number seven jersey, while Steff Evans and Steff Thomas return to the run-on side.

Scott Williams and Wyn Jones have been ruled out because of injury, while Sam Lousi has been suspended following his red card against Zebre.

Leigh Halfpenny, Johnny McNicholl and Ryan Conbeer are again named in the back three.

Evans is drafted into midfield alongside skipper Jonathan Davies, while Sam Costelow and Kieran Hardy — two of seven Scarlets named in Wales’ Autumn Series squad — continue at half-back.

In the front-row, Steff Thomas replaces Wyn Jones, who picked up a knee injury against Zebre, and packs down with Ken Owens and Harri O’Connor. Jac and Tom Price continue in the second-row, while 29-year-old Thomas — who started out with the Scarlets Academy — is named at openside, meaning Josh Macleod switches to blindside flanker. Sione Kalamafoni again wears the number eight jersey.

There are four changes among the replacements with props Kemsley Mathias and WillGriff John coming in up front, along with Iwan Shenton, who is set to make his URC debut. Corey Baldwin has recovered from injury to provide backline cover.

The teams:

Connacht: 15 Tiernan O’Halloran, 14 John Porch, 13 Byron Ralston, 12 David Hawkshaw, 11 Mack Hansen, 10 Jack Carty (c), 9 Kieran Marmion, 8 Paul Boyle, 7 Conor Oliver, 6 Cian Prendergast, 5 Leva Fifita, 4 Niall Murray, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Dave Heffernan, 1 Denis Buckley
Replacements: 16 Dylan Tierney-Martin, 17 Jordan Duggan, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Oisín Dowling, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Colm Reilly, 22 Cathal Forde, 23 Alex Wootton

Scarlets: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Johnny McNicholl, 13 Steff Evans, 12 Jonathan Davies (c), 11 Ryan Conbeer, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Kieran Hardy, 8 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Dan Thomas, 6 Josh Macleod, 5 Tom Price, 4 Jac Price, 3 Harri O’Connor, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Steff Thomas
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Kemsley Mathias, 18 WillGriff John, 19 Morgan Jones, 20 Iwan Shenton, 21 Dane Blacker, 22 Rhys Patchell, 23 Corey Baldwin

Venue: The Sportsground
Kick-off: 19:35 BST (18:35 GMT)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Morne Ferriera (South Africa), Padraic Reidy (Ireland)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)