Mallett Names Italian Side

Italy coach Nick Mallett has selected along expected lines for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland at Croke Park (kick-off 2.30pm), backing the players that secured a notable win over Samoa in November.

Nick Mallett’s selected side is the same as the one that started Italy’s 24-6 autumn international win over Samoa, which ended the Azzurri’s 13-match winless streak.

Bayonne out-half Craig Gower has recovered from a knee injury to be named at half-back alongside Tito Tebaldi, with the pair boasting just 12 Test caps between them.

Benetton Treviso’s Alessandro Zanni will continue at number 8, filling in for injured captain Sergio Parisse who will miss the entire RBS 6 Nations Championship with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

In Parisse’s absence, Treviso hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini will captain his country for the second time in his career, while replacement out-half Riccardo Bocchino from Rovigo is the only uncapped player in the visitors’ squad.

For a Six Nations preview interview with Italy coach Nick Mallett, please click here.

ITALY Team & Replacements (v Ireland, 2010 RBS 6 Nations Championship, Croke Park, Saturday, February 6, kick-off 2.30pm):

15 – Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso, 14 caps)
14 – Kaine Robertson (MPS Viadana, 41 caps)
13 – Gonzalo Canale (Clermont Auvergne, 51 caps)
12 – Gonzalo Garcia (Benetton Treviso, 13 caps)
11 – Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais, 66 caps)
10 – Craig Gower (Bayonne, 6 caps)
9 – Tito Tebaldi (Plusvalore Gran Parma, 6 caps)
1 – Salvatore Perugini (Bayonne, 66 caps)
2 – Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso, 24 caps) (capt)
3 – Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester Tigers, 62 caps)
4 – Carlo Del Fava (MPS Viadana, 41 caps)
5 – Quintin Geldenhuys (MPS Viadana, 6 caps)
6 – Josh Sole (MPS Viadana, 41 caps)
7 – Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais, 79 caps)
8 – Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso, 37 caps)

Replacements:

16 – Fabio Ongaro (Saracens, 64 caps)
17 – Matias Aguero (Saracens, 13 caps)
18 – Marco Bortolami (Gloucester, 77 caps)
19 – Paul Derbyshire (Petrarca Padova, 1 cap)
20 – Simon Picone (Benetton Treviso, 20 caps)
21 – Riccardo Bocchino (Femi-CZ Rovigo, uncapped)
22 – Andrea Masi (Racing Metro Paris, 46 caps)