(Reuters) – Experienced loose forward Sebastian Negri and fullback Ange Capuozzo both return from injury and have been included in Italy’s starting line-up for Saturday’s test against Australia, coach Kieran Crowley announced on Thursday.
There are three changes from last week’s win over Samoa with French-based Capuozzo taking over from Tommaso Allan with Negri in for Manuel Zuliani on the side of the scrum.
Niccolo Cannone replaces David Sisi in the second row in the other change for the test in Florence.
Cannone joins his brother Lorenzo in the team after the rookie eighthman made an impressive debut in last Saturday’s 49-17 win over the Samoans in Padua.
“We started off on the right foot against Samoa, but now that game is a thing of the past and we are thinking about the present,” Crowley said in a statement as he named the team.
“We will face a top-level team in Australia. We’ve worked at our best this week and if we play to our full potential we can make it difficult for our opponents,” the coach added
Team:
15-Ange Capuozzo, 14-Pierre Bruno, 13-Juan Ignacio Brex, 12-Luca Morisi, 11-Montanna Ioane, 10-Paolo Garbisi, 9-Stephen Varney, 8-Lorenzo Cannone, 7-Michele Lamaro (captain), 6-Sebastian Negri, 5-Federico Ruzza, 4-Niccolo Cannone, 3-Simone Ferrari, 2-Giacomo Nicotera, 1-Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: 16-Giacomo Nicotera, 17-Ivan Nemer, 18-Pietro Ceccarelli, 19-David Sisi, 20-Toa Halafihi, 21-Alessandro Garbisi, 22-Tommaso Allan, 23-Tommaso Menoncello.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Alison Williams)
