Rugby:Aironi winger Giovanbattista Venditti will make his debut for Italy as new coach Jacques Brunel unveiled his first selection for Saturday's clash against France at Stade de France.
There are a number of changes to the side that lost 6-36 to Ireland in the final round of pool games during the World Cup in Dunedin at the beginning of October.
Luke McLean comes in on the left wing for Mirco Bergamasco, with a new midfield partnership of Tommaso Benvenuti, who played on the wing against Ireland, and Alberto Sgarbi.
Outhalf Kristopher Burton is joined in a new halfback combination by scrumhalf Edoardo Gori,
Andrea Lo Cicero is named at loosehead prop, while Treviso openside Robert Barbieri gets the nod ahead of Mauro Bergamasco.
ITALY (v France):
A Masi (Aironi); G Venditti (Aironi), T Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso), Alberto Sgarbi (Benetton Treviso), Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso); Kristopher Burton (Benetton Treviso), Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso); Andrea Lo Cicero Racing Metro), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso), Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester), Cornelius van Zyl (Benetton Treviso), Quintin Geldenhuys (Aironi), Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso), Robert Barbieri (Benetton Treviso), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais, captain)
Replacements:
Tommaso D'Apice (Aironi), Lorenzo Cittadini (Benetton Treviso), Marco Bortolami (Aironi), Simone Favaro (Aironi), Fabio Semenzato (Benetton Treviso), Tobias Botes (Benetton Treviso), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont-Auvergne).
