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Italy make 5 changes for Ireland match

By Online Editors
Italy's team lines up before they played Wales in round two (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Conor O’Shea has announced his team to face Ireland in the Guinness Six Nations in Rom on Sunday.

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The Italy head coach has made five changes to the team that lost 26-15 to Wales two weeks ago.

Scrum half Tito Tebaldi, who picked up a knock before Italy’s opener with Scotland, returns to the side in place of Guglielmo Palazzani.

Edoardo Padovani, a try scorer against Scotland and Wales, is on the wing.

With Sergio Parisse out because of concussion after picking up a knock while playing for Stade Francais last weekend, Benettton’s Abraham Jurgens Steyn moves across from flanker to slot in at number 8.

Maxime Mbanda returns at flanker, making his first Italy appearance since playing Wales in Cardiff last year. His Zebre teammate Jimmy Tuivaiti takes the place of Sebastian Negri.

In the second row it’s an all-Benetton affair with Federico Ruzza alongside Dean Budd, with David Sisi dropping to the bench.

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Hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini takes the captain’s armband for the 17th time, he set to pick up his 102nd cap. Alongside him in the front row is Simone Ferrari, while Andrea Lovotti returns after recovering from the flu replacing Nicola Quaglio.

Italy team v Ireland:
15 Jayden HAYWARD (Benetton Rugby, 14 caps)
14 Edoardo Padovani (ZEBRE Club, 17 caps) *
13 Michele CAMPAGNARO (Wasps, 40 caps) *
12 Luca MORISI (Benetton Rugby, 22 caps) *
11 Angelo ESPOSITO (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
10 Thomas ALLAN (Benetton Rugby, 45 caps)
9 Tito Tebaldi (Benetton Rugby, 29 caps)
8 Abraham Jurgens Steyn (Benetton Rugby, 27 caps)
7 Maxime Mbanda ‘(ZEBRE Club, 15 caps) *
6 Jimmy TUIVAITI (ZEBRE Club, 2 caps)
5 Dean BUDD (Benetton Rugby, 18 caps)
4 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps) *
3 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 19caps)
2 Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Stade Toulousian, 101 caps) – Captain
1 Andrea Lovotti (ZEBRE Club, 31caps) *

Replacements
16 Luke BIGI (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
17 Cherif TRAORE ‘(Benetton Rugby, 7 caps) *
18 Titian PASQUALI (Benetton Rugby, 15caps)
19 David SISI (ZEBRE Club, 2 ch)
20 Alessandro ZANNI (Benetton Rugby, 109 caps)
21 William PALAZZANI (ZEBRE Club, 30 caps)
22 Ian MCKINLEY (Benetton Rugby, 6 caps)
23 Thomas CASTLE (ZEBRE Club, 16 caps)
* It is / was a member of the FIR Ivan Francescato

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Bull Shark 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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