Coach Conor O'Shea retained 10
starters from Italy's historic 20-18 win over the Springboks in
November for the Azzurri's Six Nations opener against Wales in
Rome on Sunday.
The starting XV will be led by captain Sergio Parisse, who
will make his 122nd international appearance to consolidate his
position as rugby's ninth most-capped player.
He will play at the rear of a new-look back row, along with
open-side flanker Maxime Mata Mbandà, who picks up his fourth
cap and will make his Six Nations debut, and South African-born
blindsider Abraham Steyn.
"We have a great responsibility for Italian rugby," said
Irishman O'Shea ahead of his first Six Nations game on the
Azzurri bench.
"Our challenge is to show that we are on the right road".
Italy team: Edoardo PADOVANI (Zebre Rugby, 6 caps), Giulio
BISEGNI (Zebre Rugby, 5 caps), Tommaso BENVENUTI (Benetton
Treviso, 37 caps), 12 Luke MCLEAN (Benetton Treviso, 84 caps),
Giovanbattista VENDITTI (Zebre Rugby, 38 caps), Carlo CANNA
(Zebre Rugby, 15 caps), Edoardo GORI (Benetton Treviso, 56
caps); Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais, 121 caps), Maxime Mata
MBANDA' (Zebre Rugby, 3 caps),Abraham STEYN (Benetton Treviso, 6
caps), George BIAGI (Zebre Rugby, 14 caps), Marco FUSER
(Benetton Treviso, 16 caps), Lorenzo CITTADINI (Aviron
Bayonnais, 53 caps), Ornel GEGA (Benetton Treviso, 8 caps),
Andrea LOVOTTI (Zebre Rugby, 9 caps).
Replacements: Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Stade Toulousain, 82
caps), Sami PANICO (Patarò Calvisano, 6 caps), Pietro CECCARELLI
(Zebre Rugby, 5 caps). Joshua FURNO (Zebre Rugby, 36 caps),
Francesco MINTO (Benetton Treviso, 31 caps), Giorgio BRONZINI
(Benetton Treviso, 3 caps), Tommaso ALLAN (Benetton Treviso, 27
caps), Michele CAMPAGNARO (Exeter Chiefs, 25 caps).
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