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Italy make 5 changes for Ireland match
By Online Editors
Conor O'Shea has announced his team to face Ireland in the Guinness Six Nations in Rom on Sunday.
The Italy head coach has made five changes to the team that lost 26-15 to Wales two weeks ago.
Scrum half Tito Tebaldi, who picked up a knock before Italy's opener with Scotland, returns to the side in place of Guglielmo Palazzani.
Edoardo Padovani, a try scorer against Scotland and Wales, is on the wing.
With Sergio Parisse out because of concussion after picking up a knock while playing for Stade Francais last weekend, Benettton's Abraham Jurgens Steyn moves across from flanker to slot in at number 8.
Maxime Mbanda returns at flanker, making his first Italy appearance since playing Wales in Cardiff last year. His Zebre teammate Jimmy Tuivaiti takes the place of Sebastian Negri.
In the second row it's an all-Benetton affair with Federico Ruzza alongside Dean Budd, with David Sisi dropping to the bench.
Hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini takes the captain's armband for the 17th time, he set to pick up his 102nd cap. Alongside him in the front row is Simone Ferrari, while Andrea Lovotti returns after recovering from the flu replacing Nicola Quaglio.
Italy team v Ireland:
15 Jayden HAYWARD (Benetton Rugby, 14 caps)
14 Edoardo Padovani (ZEBRE Club, 17 caps) *
13 Michele CAMPAGNARO (Wasps, 40 caps) *
12 Luca MORISI (Benetton Rugby, 22 caps) *
11 Angelo ESPOSITO (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
10 Thomas ALLAN (Benetton Rugby, 45 caps)
9 Tito Tebaldi (Benetton Rugby, 29 caps)
8 Abraham Jurgens Steyn (Benetton Rugby, 27 caps)
7 Maxime Mbanda '(ZEBRE Club, 15 caps) *
6 Jimmy TUIVAITI (ZEBRE Club, 2 caps)
5 Dean BUDD (Benetton Rugby, 18 caps)
4 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps) *
3 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 19caps)
2 Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Stade Toulousian, 101 caps) - Captain
1 Andrea Lovotti (ZEBRE Club, 31caps) *
Replacements
16 Luke BIGI (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
17 Cherif TRAORE '(Benetton Rugby, 7 caps) *
18 Titian PASQUALI (Benetton Rugby, 15caps)
19 David SISI (ZEBRE Club, 2 ch)
20 Alessandro ZANNI (Benetton Rugby, 109 caps)
21 William PALAZZANI (ZEBRE Club, 30 caps)
22 Ian MCKINLEY (Benetton Rugby, 6 caps)
23 Thomas CASTLE (ZEBRE Club, 16 caps)
* It is / was a member of the FIR Ivan Francescato
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Latest Comments
It is if he thinks he’s got hold of the ball and there is at least one other player between him and the ball carrier, which is why he has to reach around and over their heads. Not a deliberate action for me.
Go to commentsI understand, but England 30 years ago were a set piece focused kick heavy team not big on using backs.
Same as now.
South African sides from any period will have a big bunch of forwards smashing it up and a first five booting everything in their own half.
NZ until recently rarely if ever scrummed for penalties; the scrum is to attack from, broken play, not structured is what we’re after.
Same as now.
These are ways of playing very ingrained into the culture.
If you were in an English club team and were off to Fiji for a game against a club team you’d never heard of and had no footage of, how would you prepare?
For a forward dominated grind or would you assume they will throw the ball about because they are Fijian?
A Fiji way. An English way.
An Australian way depends on who you’ve scraped together that hasn’t been picked off by AFL or NRL, and that changes from generation to generation a lot of the time.
Actually, maybe that is their style. In fact, yes they have a style.
Nevermind. Fuggit I’ve typed it all out now.
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