Mauro Bergamasco was given his wings by Italy coach John Kirwan on Thursday when he named his team for Saturday's opening Six Nations encounter with Wales at the Stadio Flaminio.

Bergamasco, considered Italian rugby's hottest prospect, has spent most of his career as a flanker but had a successful outing at wing during last week's trial match with a World XV.

Kirwan, who has compared the elder of the Bergamasco brothers to New Zealand ace Jonah Lomu, handed the number 14 jersey to Mauro when the team was unveiled.

Another key choice was the selection of inexperienced hooker Carlo Festuccia in the number two jersey that was the preserve of former skipper Alessandro Moscardi in previous Six Nations campaigns.

Festuccia gets the nod ahead of Andrea Moretti who had to settle for a place on the bench.

The Italy back division has a settled look with the experienced Paolo Vaccari taking the full-back's role ahead of Mirco Bergamasco, who must start on the bench while Cristian Stoica and Giovanni Raineri link up in the centre.

Denis Dallan is the other winger while the vastly experienced half-back partnership of Alessandro Troncon and Diego Dominguez continues in tandem with the latter continuing his pursuit of the world record tally of points held by Neil Jenkins of Wales.

Festuccia is joined in the front row by Ramiro Martinez and tight-head prop Giampiero De Carli, who scored a try in Italy's inaugural Six Nations win over Scotland in 2000. Italy have lost every Six Nations match since.

The lock pairing of Cristian Bezzi and Marco Bortolami is very inexperienced with Bezzi joining Festuccia as a debutant.

In the back row Andrea De Rossi takes Bergamasco's usual number six jersey alongside Aaron Persico and number eight Matthew Phillips - both New Zealanders who have committed their rugby futures to Italy.

Italy: P Vaccari; M Bergamasco, C Stoica, G Raineri, D Dallan; D Dominguez, A Troncon (capt); G De Carli, C Festuccia, R Martinez, C Bezzi, M Bortolami, A De Rossi, A Persico, M Phillips.

Replacements: A Moretti, S Perugini, M Giacheri, S Palmer, J Queirolo, R Pez, M Bergamasco.