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Sergio Parisse will lead an altered Italian side against Wales in Rome on Saturday. The Argentine-Italian will again play at n8 though Head Coach Conor O’Shea has gone for changes from last weekend.
O’Shea has moved Michele Campagnaro from wing back to his natural position of outside center. The left wing spot goes to Angelo Esposito who played right wing against Scotland. Completing the back-three will be Edoardo Padovani.
Joining Campagnaro in the mid-field will be Luca Morisi. He changes his center positions which sees Tommaso Castello dropping out of the 23. Angelo Esposito, and Tommaso Allan will start again in the halves.
In the forwards there is one change with Nicola Quaglio taking over from Andrea Lovotti at loose head prop. He joins Leonardo Ghiraldini and Simone Ferrari in the front-row. The former will earn his 101st test cap while Parisse will earn his 136th.
The n8 from La Plata, Argentina is the fourth most capped rugby player in test history. Ahead of him are Richie McCaw (148), Brian O’Driscoll (141), and George Gregan (139). Parisse will likely go above O’Driscoll this year.
ITALY
15 Jayden Hayward, 14 Edoardo Padovani, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Luca Morisi, 11 Angelo Esposito, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Guglielmo Palazzani, 8 Sergio Parisse (capt.), 7 Abraham Steyn, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Dean Budd, 4 David Sisi, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Nicola Quaglio
Replacements: 16 Luca Bigi, 17 Cherif Traore, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Marco Barbini, 21 Edoardo Gori, 22 Ian McKinley, 23 Tommaso Benvenuti
