Italy v Russia, Rugby World Cup, September 20
Mallett shuffles Italy squad
ESPNscrum Staff
September 16, 2011
Italy flanker Mauro Bergamasco prepares to pass, Italy training session, Villabassa, Italy, July 13, 2011
Mauro Bergamasco returns to Italy's starting XV against Russia © Getty Images
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Teams: Italy | Russia

Italy coach Nick Mallett has made 12 changes for his side's Pool C clash with Russia in Nelson on Tuesday.

Backs Andrea Masi and Tommaso Benvenuti, along with No.8 and skipper Sergio Parisse, are the only players retained from the side that lost 32-6 to Australia in the opening round of matches as Mallett chooses to rotate his squad. Masi keeps his place at fullback while Tommaso Benvenuti moves from wing to outside centre to accommodate Giulio Toniolatti.

Riccardo Bocchino and Edoardo Gori come in at half-back in place of Luciano Orquera and Fabio Semenzato while Parisse is joined in the back-row by Paul Derbyshire and Mauro Bergamasco. Salvatore Perugini returns as starting loose-head prop for his first match since Italy's final 2011 Six Nations match in March.

Quintin Geldenhuys and Marco Bortolami join forces in the second-row in the absence of Cornelius van Zyl and Carlo Antonio Del Fava.

Italy: Andrea Masi; Giulio Toniolatti, Tommaso Benvenuti, Matteo Pratichetti, Luke McLean; Riccardo Bocchino, Edoardo Gori; Salvatore Perugini, Fabio Ongaro, Lorenzo Cittadini; Quintin Geldenhuys, Marco Bortolami; Paul Derbyshire, Mauro Bergamasco, Sergio Parisse (c)

Replacements: Tommaso D'Apice, Martin Castrogiovanni, Cornelius van Zyl, Alessandro Zanni, Pablo Canavosio, Luciano Orquera, Alberto Sgarbi

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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