All change for Italy

Published: Thursday, 18. August, 2011 in category Italy
Masi: Returns to Italy team

Only captain Sergio Parisse, Tommaso Benvenuti, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Andrea Lo Cicero have retained their places after the Azzurri were given a major scare by Japan last weekend before claiming a 31-24 win in Cesena.

Andrea Masi returns at full-back having not featured since leaving the field after only half an hour of the RBS 6 Nations clash between the sides in Edinburgh five months ago.

Mirco Bergamasco is also back on the left wing after missing the weekend game in which Japan recovered from going 14-0 down to lead 17-14 at half-time before Italy eventually prevailed by four tries to three.

Italy team: A Masi; T Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso), G Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), Gonzalo Garcia (Benetton Treviso), Mirco Bergamasco (Racing-Metro Paris); L Orquera, F Semenzato (Benetton Treviso); A Lo Cicero (Racing-Metro Paris), L Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso), M Castrogiovanni (Leicester), CA Del Fava, C Van Zyl (Benetton Treviso), P Derbyshire (Benetton Treviso), R Barbieri (Benetton Treviso), S Parisse (Stade Francais, capt).Replacements: T D'Apice, L Cittadini (Benetton Treviso), M Bortolami, A Zanni (Benetton Treviso), P Canavosio (Cammi Calvisano), R Bocchino (Estra I Cavalieri Prato), M Pratichetti.