Italy coach Conor O'Shea has
named a young side for the Azzurri's opening Six Nations match
against holders England at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on Sunday,
with seven members of the team set to make their first
appearance in the tournament.
The Six Nations newcomers are fullback Matteo Minozzi,
centres Tommaso Boni and Tommaso Castello, flankers Renato
Giammarioli and Sebastian Negri, second row Dean Budd and prop
Simone Ferrari.
There is also experience in key positions though, with
captain Sergio Parisse set to pick up his 130th cap and lock
Alessandro Zanni getting his 100th after a two-year absence from
the national team due to injuries.
O'Shea has stuck with the bulk of the men he used in the
November tests, when the Azzurri beat Fiji and lost to Argentina
and South Africa.
Italy team:
15. Matteo Minozzi (3 caps)
14. Tommaso Benvenuti (45 caps)
13. Tommaso Boni (8 caps)
12. Tommaso Castello (5 caps)
11. Mattia Bellini (8 caps)
10 Tommaso Allan (33 caps)
9. Marcello Violi (8 caps)
1. Andrea Lovotti (20 caps)
2. Leonardo Ghiraldini (89 caps)
3. Simone Ferrari (8 caps)
4. Alessandro Zanni (99 caps)
5. Dean Budd (6 caps)
6. Sebastian Negri (2 caps)
7. Renato Giammarioli (1 caps)
8. Sergio Parisse (c) (129 caps)
Replacements:
16. Luca Bigi (6 caps)
17. Nicola Quaglio (2 cap)
18. Tiziano Pasquali (2 caps)
19. George Biagi (19 caps)
20. Maxime Mbanda (11 caps)
21. Edoardo Gori (65 caps)
22. Carlo Canna (25 caps)
23. Jayden Hayward (3 caps)
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