Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
In his first match in charge of Italy Conor O’Shea has named a much altered lineup to that which represented Italy in the 2016 Six Nations Championship.
With regular captain Sergio Parisse not touring the captaincy has fallen upon scrum half Edoardo Gori. He will join forces in the halves with one of Italy’s greatest fly half prospects in well over a decade, Carlo Canna.
Starting outside Canna will be Tommaso Boni who is to earn his first cap. The Zebre debutant will form a mid-field partnership with the exciting Michele Campagnaro who is fresh off a strong season with the Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership and European Rugby Champions Cup.
Australian-born Luke McLean is to be the veteran back. The 28 year old will earn his 80th cap. Leonardo Sarto and David Odiete have been retained from the Six Nations to start against Los Pumas on the wings.
Starting in the back for the central Europeans will be a mixture of new blood on the one hand and the tried and tested on the other. South Africans Braam Steyn and Dries van Schalkwyn join Simone Favaro in the back-row. Between them the trio have just 32 caps.
A third South African will play in the engine room with Quintin Geldenhuys earning his 64th Italian cap. The 34 year old will be joined by Marco Fuser to form the starting second-row combination.
Up front Wasps prop Lorenzo Cittadini will start at tighthead with the Italian-based duo of Andrea Lovotti and the Albanian-born Ornel Gega playing loosehead prop and hooker respectively.
An experienced bench has been named. Among those set to act as replacements is Canadian Robert Barbieri.
