Rugby

Italy make four changes for daunting trip to Twickenham

Conor O’Shea makes three changes in his backline for game against England

Exeter centre Michele Campagnaro returns to the Italy midfield for Sunday’s Six Nations game against England at Twickenham. Photograph: Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

Wed Feb 22 2017 - 16:53

Italy have made four changes to the team thrashed by Ireland for Sunday's Six Nations match with holders England at Twickenham.

Head coach Conor O’Shea’s side were thumped 63-10 by Ireland in Rome last time out, coming on the back of a 33-7 home loss to Wales on the tournament’s opening weekend.

Three of the changes come in the backs with Tommaso Allan replacing Carlo Canna at outhalf, Exeter's Michele Campagnaro coming in for Tommaso Benvenuti at outside centre and Giulio Bisegni taking over from Angelo Esposito on the right wing.

The other alteration comes in the backrow where Braam Steyn replaces Maxime Mbanda at blindside flanker.

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Canna, Benvenuti and Mbanda are on the bench where both props are switched. Michele Rizzo replaced the injured Dario Chistolini in Italy’s squad earlier this week and will provide loosehead cover, while Pietro Ceccarelli is also included. Esposito misses out altogether on the matchday squad.

ITALY (v England, Twickenham, Sunday, 3pm): Edoardo Padovani (Zebre); Giulio Bisegni (Zebre), Michele Campagnaro (Exeter), Luke McLean (Treviso), Giovanbattista Venditti (Zebre); Tommaso Allan (Treviso), Edoardo Gori (Treviso); Andrea Lovotti (Zebre), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Toulouse), Lorenzo Cittadini (Bayonne); Marco Fuser (Treviso), Dries Van Schalkwyk (Zebre); Braam Steyn (Treviso), Simone Favaro (Glasgow), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais, capt).

Replacements: Ornel Gega (Treviso), Michele Rizzo (Leicester), Pietro Ceccarelli (Zebre), George Biagi (Zebre), Maxime Mbanda ( Zebre), Giorgio Bronzini (Treviso), Carlo Canna (Zebre), Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso).

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