Italy make changes ahead of Ireland game

Italy coach Brad Johnstone has been hit by an injury crisis ahead of next weekend's Six Nations match with Ireland at Lansdowne…

Italy coach Brad Johnstone has been hit by an injury crisis ahead of next weekend's Six Nations match with Ireland at Lansdowne Road.

Experienced campaigners Carlo Checchinato and Juan Manuel Queirolo have withdrawn from the squad while full-back Paolo Vaccari is a big doubt.

Checchinato, Italy's record cap-holder with 73 appearances has strained a muscle in his right leg while scrum-half Queirolo fractured a finger when playing for his French club Dax.

Vaccari has still not recovered from the groin strain that sidelined him from the 44-20 defeat by Wales in Cardiff a fortnight ago and is considered doubtful.

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Johnstone has replaced Checchinato with Matthew Phillips, the New Zealand-born number eight who had originally been dropped to the A team while Treviso's Matteo Mazzantini comes in for Queirolo.

Also added to the squad is Treviso centre Walter Pozzebon who has been ruled out of the first three matches of the tournament through injury.

Pozzebon, considered one of Italian rugby's hottest prospects, is almost certain to start against the Irish as 19-year-old Mirco Bergamasco was overlooked for this match to allow him to represent Italy in the under-19 World Cup.

Revised squad

Forwards:Mauro Bergamasco, Salvatore Garozzo, Alessandro Moscardi (capt) (all Treviso), Santiago Dellape, Aaron Persico, Matthew Phillips (all Viadana), Giampiero De Carli, Andrea De Rossi (both Calvisano), Marco Bortolami, Andrea Muraro (both Padova), Mark Giacheri (Sale/Eng), Salvatore Perugini (L'Aquila), Federico Pucciarello (Gloucester/Eng)

Backs:Denis Dallan, Matteo Mazzantini, Walter Pozzebon (all Treviso), Roberto Pedrazzi (Viadana), Paolo Vaccari, Cristian Zanoletti (both Calvisano), Diego Dominguez (Stade Francais/Fra), Gert Peens (Piacenza), Ramiro Pez (Rotherham/Eng), Giovanni Raineri (Roma), Cristian Stoica (Castres/Fra), Alessandro Troncon (Montferrand/Fra)