• Six Nations

Italy name Six Nations squad to face England

Italy captain Sergio Parisse is set to return to the Six Nations stage next month © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Sackey resigned to England fate
  
• News: Wales duo Jones and Henson in Six Nations fitness race
  

Italy coach Nick Mallett has named a 24-man squad for the first two games of the Six Nations Championship.

Prop Ignacio Rouyet and fly-half Kristopher Burton were the two surprise inclusions while hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini and centre Gonzalo Garcia return to the international mix having missed the autumn internationals through injury.

Mallett is without experienced pair Mauro Bergamasco and Craig Gower, ruled out of the tournament following shoulder and knee operations respectively, while there is no place for scrum-half Tito Tebaldi.

Inspirational captain Sergio Parisse returns to the squad having missed last year's entire tournament following a knee ligament injury. Leicester's Martin Castrogiovanni is also in a squad that includes a total of 11 players from Treviso.

The Azzurri take on Ireland on February 5 at the Stadio Flaminio before facing England at Twickenham one week later.

Italy squad: Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester Tigers), Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro), Salvatore Perugini (Aironi), Ignacio Fernandez-Rouyet, Leonardo Ghiraldini (both Treviso), Fabio Ongaro (Aironi), Santiago Dellape (Racing Metro), Carlo Antonio Del Fava, Quintin Geldenhuys (both Aironi), Robert Barbieri, Paul Derbyshire (both Treviso), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais), Alessandro Zanni (Treviso), Pablo Canavosio (Aironi), Edoardo Gori, Kristopher Burton, Luke McLean (all Treviso), Luciano Orquera (Brive), Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso), Mirco Bergamasco (Racing Metro), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont Auvergne), Gonzalo Garcia (Treviso), Andrea Masi (Racing Metro), Alberto Sgarbi (Treviso).

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.