RBS Six Nations – Kirwan Rings The Changes.

Italian coach John Kirwan has made four
changes to the team that beat Scotland, for Saturday’s RBS Six Nations championship match against Ireland at Lansdowne Road.

Veteran lock Carlo Checcinato and Calvisano wing Nicola Mazzucato
are
recalled to the starting line-up in place of Treviso’s Santiago
Dellape and
Arix Viadana’s Andrea Masi, who drop to the bench.

Cecchinato’s 83rd international apperance will make him the joint
most-capped player in Italian rugby alongside Alessandro Troncon, who
has not
played in the Six Nations this year due to injury.

Injuries have ruled out number eight Sergio Parisse and centre
Manuel
Dallan and they are replaced by New Zealand-born Scott Palmer and
Matteo
Barbini respectively.

Calvisano flanker Roberto Mandelli receives his first call-up but
has to
make do with a place among the substitutes.

Italy:
Gonzalo Canale (Treviso); Nicola Mazzucato (Calvisano), Cristian
Stoica
(Montpellier/FRA), Matteo Barbini (Padova), Denis Dallan (Treviso);
Roland De
Marigny (Overmach Parma), Paul Griffen (Calvisano); Scott Palmer
(Treviso),
Aaron Persico (Leeds/ENG), Andrea De Rossi (Calvisano, capt); Marco
Bortolami
(Padova), Carlo Checcinato (Treviso); Martin Leandro Castrogiovanni
(Calvisano), Fabio Ongaro (Treviso), Andrea Lo Cicero (Lazio)
Replacements: Carlo Festuccia (Gran Parma), Salvatore Perugini
(Calvisano),
Santiago Dellape (Treviso), Roberto Mandelli (Calvisano), Simon
Picone
(Treviso), Andrea Masi (Viadana), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade
Francais/ENG)

AFP – 2004