Italy have stuck with a winning line-up for Saturday’s Six Nations clash against Ireland, making only a single enforced change from the side that beat Scotland 18-15 in their opening match of this year’s championship last weekend.
Leonardo Marin moves from fullback to centre to replace Juan Ignacio Brex, who asked to be excused from the trip to Dublin for family reasons which have not been disclosed.
Lorenzo Pani comes off last weekend’s replacement bench to take over at fullback for Saturday’s game in his first start in almost two years.
That means there is no place in the matchday squad for fullback Ange Capuozzo as well as scrumhalf Stephen Varney, who both returned from injury this week.
Capuozzo has not played this year since breaking a finger playing in the French Top 14 league while Varney has been nursing an adductor injury.
Coach Gonzalo Quesada will be looking to use Brex’s absence to pair Marin, who has played across the backline for Italy, with Tommaso Menoncello, who he has suggested in the past could become a regular midfield combination for the Italians.
Quesada has gone for a 6-2 split among the replacements with David Odiase one of two changes on the bench as an extra forward while Paolo Odogwu is a utility pick for backline cover, along with reserve scrumhalf Alessandro Garbisi.
ITALY (v Ireland): Lorenzo Pani; Louis Lynagh, Leonardo Marin, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Alessandro Fusco; Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Simone Ferrari; Niccolo Cannone, Andrea Zambonin; Michele Lamaro (capt), Manuel Zuliani, Lorenzo Cannone.
Replacements: Tommaso di Bartolomeo, Mirco Spagnolo, Muhamed Hasa, Federico Ruzza, Riccardo Favretto, David Odiase, Alessandro Garbisi, Paolo Odogwu.