Viadana or Rugby Parma will have the honour of being the first Italian club to contest a European final when the winner of the two legs of the Parker Pen Shield semi-final between the sides goes through to the showpiece final on the weekend of 22 / 23 May.

And national coach John Kirwan is delighted with the exposure and profile the Parker Pen Shield final will bring to the Italian game.

"Having a guaranteed finalist in a major European tournament is great for Italy and Italian rugby," said the former All Black wing.

"Rugby Parma and Viadana are both top sides and their success in the Parker Pen Shield continues the growth in Italian rugby that we started at the World Cup. I am very much looking forward to the final."

While Italy will have a finalist, Didier Nourault, the Montpellier Director of Rugby, is determined his French club will provide the opposition in the final.

'As we have progressed in this competition our objective, more than ever, is to get to the final and - why not - to win it," he said.

'We were in the Second Division last year and it would be fantastic for the club to lift a European title.

'We will meet an Italian team for the third time in the semi-finals and if we get to the final, it will be another Italian team, so we are getting to know Italian rugby quite well!

'We are at home first and, given that Italian teams are very different on their home turf, it means we have to get as big a winning margin as possible in the first leg and also produce a quality European match for our home support.

'Rugby-wise it has been great to have this run of matches. It has given the players confidence and experience. And now that we are in the semi-finals, the players really want to win this competition.'