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Italy coach Nick Mallett has his captain Sergio Parisse back in the team that will take on the Springboks in Witbank for the first match of their two Test tour of South Africa.
The Azzurri take on the world champion Springboks for the ninth time in their history, having never beaten the South Africans.
The highly rated No.8, Parisse, makes his return to the side for the first time this season, after missing the entire six Nations tournament through a serious knee injury.
The cornerstone of the Italian scrum Martin Castrogiovanni features in the front row, and will hope to terrorise the South African front row, as he did on lasts year’s year-end tour.
Mallet has left out 39-time capped South African-born lock Carlo Del Fava for the clash, but has included another South African in the second row, as Quintin Geldenhuys prepares to win his tenth Test cap on Saturday.
Italy: 15 Luke McLean, 14 Kaine Robertson, 13 Andrea Masi, 12 Matteo Pratichetti, 11 Mirco Bergamasco, 10 Craig Gower, 9 Tito Tebaldi, 8 Sergio Parisse (Captain), 7 Alessandro Zanni, 6 Simone Favaro, 5 Quintin Geldenhuys, 4 Valerio Bernabo, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini 1 Salvatore Perugini.
Replacements: 16 Fabio Ongaro, 17 Lorenzo Cittadini, 18 Marco Bortolami, 19 Paul Derbyshire, 20 Simon Picone, 21 Riccardo Bocchino, 22 Gonzalo Canale.
Date: Saturday, June 19
Venue: Puma Stadium, Witbank
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
Assistant referees: Keith Brown (New Zealand), David Changleng (Scotland)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
Courtesy of Rugby 365.com
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Do the Boks know they have to announce the team before getting to Witbank on Saturday afternoon?
Nice to see Parisse back in action.
I’m amased at all the true blood Italians he’s picked… Luke McLean, Kaine Robertson,Quintin Geldenhuys,Paul Derbyshire
I’ve never seen more rural Italian names in my life
@SandTiger (Comment 3) :
I did want to mention that I used a little bit of poetic license with the headline.
@SandTiger (Comment 3) :
And the pivot Craig Gower must be from ancient Sicilian extraction.
@SandTiger (Comment 3) : It’s obvious, they all had South African fathers who went to Italy and married Italian women <>
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) : Flippen team was announced on Tuesday already!!!!!!!!!
Wake up TWIT!
@lostfish (Comment 6) :
Tghe exploits of the Early SA rugby professionals are cathing up with them. Soon we will see a yound blond italian flyhalf names Ignatius playing for them.