Italy v Ireland, Six Nations Championship, February 15
Bergamasco returns to the openside
Scrum.com
February 12, 2009
Italy's Mauro Bergamasco passes the ball out of a ruck, England v Italy, Six Nations Championship, Twickenham, England, February 7, 2009
Mauro Bergamasco returns to his normal position on the openside flank against Ireland © Getty Images
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Italy boss Nick Mallett has named Mauro Bergamasco at openside flanker for the Six Nations visit of Ireland to the Stadio Flaminio on Sunday.

Bergamasco was controversially selected at scrum-half last weekend, and experiment that proved agonisingly short as he was hauled off at half-time during Italy's opening 36-11 loss to England at Twickenham. He now returns to his regular position on the openside flank alongside Alessandro Zanni and skipper Sergio Parisse in the back-row.

His brother, Mirco, also shifts positions, replacing Gonzalo Garcia at inside centre after starting on the wing last weekend. Bergamasco partners Gonzalo Canale in midfield, with Calvisano's Matteo Pratichetti taking his place out wide. Luke McLean starts at fly-half after an impressive showing from the bench last weekend, with veteran Calvisano scrum-half Paul Griffen going straight into the starting line-up after his call-up last week. Treviso fly-half Andrea Marcato has failed to recover from a neck injury sustained against England.

Carlo Antonio Del Fava is also put straight into the side after a late call-up, the Ulster lock replacing Marco Bortolami, who drops out of the 22.

Italy: Andrea Masi (Biarritz Olympique), Kaine Robertson (Viadana), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais), Matteo Pratichetti (Calvisano), Luke McLean (Calvisano), Paul Griffen (Calvisano), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais, capt), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais), Alessandro Zanni (Calvisano), Tommaso Reato (Rovigo), Santiago Dellape' (Toulon), Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester Tigers), Fabio Ongaro (Saracens), Salvatore Perugini (Stade Toulousain)

Replacements: Carlo Festuccia (Racing Metro Paris), Carlos Nieto (Gloucester), Carlo Antonio Del Fava (Ulster), Josh Sole (Viadana), Giulio Toniolatti (Capitolina), Gonzalo Garcia (Cammi Calvisano), Andrea Bacchetti (Rovigo)

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