Quintin Geldenhuys
Italy coach Jacques Brunel named Quintin Geldenhuys as captain in a much changed side, with respect to the last Six Nations campaign.
Italy will host Scotland in a Rugby World Cup warm-up game in Turin on Saturday.
With habitual captain Sergio Parisse sidelined with flu-like symptoms, 2nd row forward Geldenhuys has been handed the captain’s armband with Fiji-born Samuel Vunisa stepping into Parisse’s No 8 position.
Brunel has caused a minor surprise in the centres.
Tommaso Benvenuti was handed his 1st start in 2 years to partner Gonzalo Garcia.
Tommaso Allan – a former Scotland Under 21 star – got the flyhalf role and Guglielmo Palazzani was named at scrumhalf to replace suspended Edoardo Gori.
Geldenhuys will be partnered in the 2nd row by Zebre teammate Valerio Bernabo, who will be making his 1st Azzurri start in nearly 2 years.
Elsewhere, Brunel will send out an unprecedented 1st row trio of Lorenzo Cittadini, Matias Aguero and hooker Davide Giazzon, who will make his 3rd start for Italy.
Veterans Martin Castrogiovanni, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Marco Bortolami and Mauro Bergamasco – who have 398 caps between them – all start on the bench, as will versatile fullback Luke McLean.
Italy: 15 Andrea Masi, 14 Leonardo Sarto, 13 Tommaso Benvenuti, 12 Gonzalo Garcia, 11 Giovambattista Venditti, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Guglielmo Palazzani, 8 Samuela Vunisa, 7 Alessandro Zanni, 6 Francesco Minto, 5 Valerio Bernabo, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys (Captain), 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 2 Davide Giazzon, 1 Matias Aguero
Replacements: 16 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Martin Castrogiovanni, 19 Marco Bortolami, 20 Mauro Bergamasco, 21 Marcello Violi, 22 Carlo Canna, 23 Luke McLean.
Date: Saturday 22 August
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Turin
Kick-Off: 20:00 SA Time (20:00 Italy Time, 19:00 BST, 18:00 GMT)
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistant Referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Luke Pearce (England)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
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