Australia v Italy, Melbourne
Mallett overhauls Italy side
Scrum.com
June 18, 2009
Australian Rugby League exile Craig Gower of Italy shakes hands with Australia's Quade Cooper after the First Test, Canberra Stadium, June 13, 2009
Craig Gower will get another shot at Australia this weekend © Getty Images
Enlarge
Related Links
Players/Officials: Nick Mallett
Tournaments/Tours: Italy tour
Teams: Australia | Italy

Italy boss Nick Mallett has made wholesale changes to his side to face Australia in the second Test in Melbourne on Saturday. Mallett has brought in 10 new faces after the Azzurri were swatted aside 31-8 by the Wallabies in Canberra last weekend, with the Bergamasco brothers, Mauro and Mirco, and scrum-half Pablo Canavosio all dropping out of the 22.

Former Australian rugby league star Craig Gower retains his place at fly-half, and will partner Tito Tebaldi. Tebaldi impressed off the bench on debut last weekend and will be tasked with providing better distribution than Canavosio, who endured a disastrous game in Canberra.

Sergio Parisse leads the side from No.8, with Simone Favaro and Jean Francois Montauriol completing the back-row. Marco Bortolami and Tommaso Reato start in the second-row with Fabio Staibano, Franco Sbaraglini and Matias Aguero completing the front-row.

In the backs, Luke McLean retains his place at fullback, with Giulio Rubini and Alberto Sgarbi on the wings. In the centre, Gonzalo Garcia partners Clermont Auvergne's Gonzalo Canale.

Italy: Luke McLean; Giulio Rubini, Gonzalo Canale, Gonzalo Garcia, Alberto Sgarbi; Craig Gower, Tito Tebaldi; Matias Aguero, Franco Sbaraglini, Fabio Staibano, Tommaso Reato, Marco Bortolami, Jean Francois Montauriol, Simone Favaro, Sergio Parisse (capt)

Replacements: Leonardo Ghiraldini, Salvatore Perugini, Quintin Geldenhuys, Alessandro Zanni, Giulio Toniolatti, Kris Burton, Roberto Quartaroli.

© Scrum.com

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices