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Four changes to the Italy team with one new cap also included
By Liam Heagney
Kieran Crowley has named an Italy side to visit Scotland that shows four changes following last weekend’s 29-17 home loss to Wales. That round four defeat in Rome has left the Italians primed to finish the Guinness Six Nations with the wooden spoon for the eighth season in succession unless they can pull off a surprise at BT Murrayfield.
Crowley has opted to give a debut cap to Simone Gesi with Edoardo Padovani missing out – Pierre Bruno swaps to the right wing to accommodate the change.
Another backline alteration sees Alessandro Fusco promoted from the bench in place of Stephen Varney, who drops out of the match day squad as Alessandro Garbisi is the scrum-half bench cover on this occasion.
In the pack, Marco Riccioni and Edoardo Iachizzi are both promoted from the bench. Simone Ferrari missed out as Pietro Ceccarelli is the sub tighthead.
The other bench change is Marco Manfredi, another uncapped player, chosen as sub hooker ahead of Luca Bigi,
Italy team (vs Scotland, Saturday – 12:30)
15 Tommaso ALLAN (Harlequins, 70 caps)
14 Pierre BRUNO (Zebre Parma, 11 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 22 caps)
12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps)
11 Simone GESI (Zebre Parma, esordiente)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Montpellier, 23 caps)
9 Alessandro FUSCO (Zebre Parma, 12 caps) -
8 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 7 caps)
7 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 25 caps) – capitano
6 Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 45 caps)
5 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 40 caps)
4 Edoardo IACHIZZI (Vannes, 4 caps)
3 Marco RICCIONI (Saracens Rugby, 18 caps)
2 Giacomo NICOTERA (Benetton Rugby, 11 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (London Irish, 29 caps)
Replacements:
16 Marco MANFREDI (Zebre Parma, esordiente)
17 Federico ZANI (Benetton Rugby, 20 caps)
18 Pietro CECCARELLI (Brive, 25 caps)
19 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 29 caps)
20 Giovanni PETTINELLI (Benetton Rugby, 11 caps)
21 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps)
22 Alessandro GARBISI (Benetton Rugby, 3 caps)
23 Luca MORISI (London Irish, 43 caps)
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Latest Comments
No just because the personal is much better than last year. I've shown no antagonism of Crusader players, you must be confusing me with someone else.
I have critized Razor for picking players he knows occasionally?
I said I'm not surprised because of his style, he's more a grinder player like Cane, not going to show up on peoples radar until you see how bad the other choices are. This year players like Clarke have been on fire and just show a bit more.
Are you one of those posters continually taking it easy on Razor because he doesn't have his Crusaders stars available? Do you think the rugby world is going to up to him suddenly once Mo'unga returns? lol
Go to commentsJohn you have been beating this drum for a couple of years, if you get proven right get back to us.
The last recent and decent Aussie coach was Ewen McKenzie, he was undermined and forced out by a couple of slimy Aussie players who were given a free pass when they should have been disciplined.
So our history since McQueen is very checkered and it seems to make little difference whether we have an Aussie coach or a Kiwi coach. The players have been entitled for a long time and we had to hit bottom to get them back into reality and to stop thinking it is all about them.
Cheika was an OK coach but his 'go our and destroy the opposition' tactic worked for a while and then didn't.
Please give me a list of great Aussie coaches that I have missed.
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