Centre Jamie Roberts and fly-half Ceri Sweeney play their last home games for the region as they look to go out with a bang against the Italian side who are bottom of the PRO12 table.
A Pontypridd product, Sweeney made his debut for Wales in the 2003 Six Nations and featured in the Rugby World Cup later that year. In 2008, he joined the Cardiff Blues from Newport Gwent Dragons and has gone on to play 110 games for the region, winning the EDF Cup and Amlin Cup in the process.
Roberts meanwhile made his Cardiff Blues debut in August 2007 and has since gone on to make 84 appearances for the Blues as well as winning more than 50 caps for Wales and touring South Africa with the British and Irish Lions in 2009.
“Hopefully this weekend will be a good send off for Ceri, Tom (James) and Jamie,” said Cardiff Blues Director of Rugby Phil Davies.
“They have been great servants to the region and hopefully there will be a big crowd to send these boys off and to finish our home campaign in a positive light.”
After a positive showing at Judgement Day where they ran a powerful Ospreys side close, the Blues will be looking to arrest a run of four straight league defeats tomorrow.
Davies has named a strong side with Welsh internationals Leigh Halfpenny, Sam Warburton and Roberts all starting. The game comes too soon for Lloyd Williams and Alex Cuthbert though they may be in contention for the Blues’ last two games away to the Scarlets and Ulster.
Zebre are still looking for their first win in the RaboDirect PRO12 but are getting ever closer having claimed three losing bonus points in their last four games.
Cardiff Blues won 14-7 when the two sides met in Italy earlier in the season and Davies is hoping for a repeat result.
“When we played Zebre earlier in the season, the boys played very well and there were some great passages of play,” he said.
“We didn’t really capitalise and nail down the dominance we had in that game and we felt the score line didn’t really reflect the possession we had.
“This weekend we have to win the game and win it well. We have to be direct early on, keep battling away at their defensive line and look to try and blow them away.
“It is not going to be easy as Zebre are a very physical team, a very resilient team and they keep coming and coming. If we don’t perform to the level we can do, it could be tough for us.
“However, if we perform to the level we know we are capable of and build on that Ospreys performance, I am confident we will get a satisfying win.”
