Four changes to the Italy team with one new cap also included

Kieran Crowley has named an Italy side to visit Scotland that shows four changes following last weekend’s 29-17 home loss to Wales. That round four defeat in Rome has left the Italians primed to finish the Guinness Six Nations with the wooden spoon for the eighth season in succession unless they can pull off a surprise at BT Murrayfield.

Crowley has opted to give a debut cap to Simone Gesi with Edoardo Padovani missing out – Pierre Bruno swaps to the right wing to accommodate the change.

Another backline alteration sees Alessandro Fusco promoted from the bench in place of Stephen Varney, who drops out of the match day squad as Alessandro Garbisi is the scrum-half bench cover on this occasion.

Facing Goliath | A story following Italy as they take on the mighty All Blacks | A Rugby Originals Documentary

Facing Goliath | A story following Italy as they take on the mighty All Blacks | A Rugby Originals Documentary

In the pack, Marco Riccioni and Edoardo Iachizzi are both promoted from the bench. Simone Ferrari missed out as Pietro Ceccarelli is the sub tighthead.

The other bench change is Marco Manfredi, another uncapped player, chosen as sub hooker ahead of Luca Bigi,

Italy team (vs Scotland, Saturday – 12:30)
15 Tommaso ALLAN (Harlequins, 70 caps)
14 Pierre BRUNO (Zebre Parma, 11 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 22 caps)
12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps)
11 Simone GESI (Zebre Parma, esordiente)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Montpellier, 23 caps)
9 Alessandro FUSCO (Zebre Parma, 12 caps) –
8 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 7 caps)
7 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 25 caps) – capitano
6 Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 45 caps)
5 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 40 caps)
4 Edoardo IACHIZZI (Vannes, 4 caps)
3 Marco RICCIONI (Saracens Rugby, 18 caps)
2 Giacomo NICOTERA (Benetton Rugby, 11 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (London Irish, 29 caps)

Replacements:
16 Marco MANFREDI (Zebre Parma, esordiente)
17 Federico ZANI (Benetton Rugby, 20 caps)
18 Pietro CECCARELLI (Brive, 25 caps)
19 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 29 caps)
20 Giovanni PETTINELLI (Benetton Rugby, 11 caps)
21 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps)
22 Alessandro GARBISI (Benetton Rugby, 3 caps)
23 Luca MORISI (London Irish, 43 caps)