Rugby

Conor O’Shea keeps 10 of side that beat Springboks for Wales game

Edoardo Gori returns at scrumhalf for clash in Rome; Maxime Mbanda makes debut in backrow

Scrumhalf Edoardo Gori returns to the Italy side for Sunday’s Six Nations opener against Wales in Rome. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images

Wed Feb 1 2017 - 14:43

Italy coach Conor O'Shea has included 10 of the starting line-up that accounted for South Africa in November for Sunday's Six Nations opener against Wales in Rome.

Edoardo Gori's return at scrumhalf instead of Giorgio Bronzini represents a solitary change from the back division that started the Springboks clash in Florence.

And that means no place for in-form Exeter centre Michele Campagnaro, who is named on the bench by O'Shea, with Luke McLean and Tommaso Benvenuti continuing their midfield partnership.

Skipper Sergio Parisse, meanwhile, will win his 122nd cap, packing down in a backrow that also includes Six Nations debutant Maxime Mbanda.

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Wales will head to Rome’s Stadio Olimpico chasing an 11th successive victory against Italy. Ireland visit Rome on Saturday week in the second weekend of matches.

ITALY (v Wales, Sunday, Stadio Olimpico, 3pm; 2pm Irish time): E Padovani (Zebre); G Bisegni (Zebre), T Benvenuti (Treviso), L McLean (Treviso), G Venditti (Zebre); C Canna (Zebre), E Gori (Treviso); A Lovotti (Zebre), O Gega (Treviso), L Cittadini (Bayonne); M Fuser (Treviso), G Biagi (Zebre); A Steyn (Treviso), M Mbanda (Zebre), S Parisse (Stade Francais, capt).

Replacements: L Ghiraldini (Toulouse), S Panico (Calvisano), P Ceccarelli (Zebre), J Furno (Zebre), F Minto (Treviso), G Bronzini (Treviso), T Allan (Treviso), M Campagnaro (Exeter).

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