Mark Hammett’s men take on the Italian part-timers on Saturday afternoon in a clash of contrasting European fortunes. The Blues saw off Top 14 play-off chasers Grenoble 37-14 at the BT Sport Arms Park last Saturday to take a step towards the knockout phase.
Their round two opponents showed their never-say-die spirit by scoring two consolation tries in their 70-14 thumping at the hands of London Irish.
The Italians have won one of two league clashes so far this season, and the Blues have also emerged victorious once in their six PRO12 outings. But Allen is determined to put their league woes behind them and flourish in the Challenge Cup.
He said: “I think it will be a pretty tough game. It’s their first home game in Europe this year and, although last weekend it didn’t go too well for them against London Irish, it’s a home game and they will want to put up a really good performance for their crowd.
“We played well against Grenoble last week, we are looking to follow up that performance and get another win, score some tries and fingers crossed get the bonus point.
“Although we don’t know them too well the preparation is the same as any game. You do your analysis on them and we have done that all week.
“Every team is a threat, it doesn’t matter who they are. Underdog teams often beat teams they don’t expect to. You can never just go out there and expect to win. We need to perform.”
Â
