By Cappa
February 1 2012
Italy go for experience as they travel to Paris for the most difficult of opening games. But can they cause a shock?
Italy head coach Jacques Brunel is French so who better to plan a giantkilling.
Italy:
15 Andrea MASI (Aironi Rugby, 64 caps)
14 Giovanbattista VENDITTI (Aironi Rugby, uncapped)*
13 Tommaso BENVENUTI (Benetton Treviso, 12 caps)*
12 Alberto SGARBI (Benetton Treviso, 12 caps)
11 Luke MCLEAN (Benetton Treviso, 33 caps)
10 Kristopher BURTON (Benetton Treviso, 9 caps)
9 Edoardo GORI (Benetton Treviso, 9 caps)*
8 Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais, 83 caps) - capitano
7 Robert BARBIERI (Benetton Treviso, 16 caps)
6 Alessandro ZANNI (Benetton Treviso, 58 caps)
5 Quintin GELDENHUYS (Aironi Rugby, 25 caps)
4 Cornelius VAN ZYL (Benetton Treviso, 6 caps)
3 Martin CASTROGIOVANNI (Leicester Tigers, 82 caps)
2 Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Benetton Treviso, 41 caps)
1 Andrea LO CICERO (Racing-Metro Paris, 91 caps)
replacements
16 Tommaso D’APICE (Aironi Rugby, 3 caps)*
17 Lorenzo CITTADINI (Benetton Treviso, 8 caps)
18 Marco BORTOLAMI (Aironi Rugby, 88 caps)
19 Simone FAVARO (Aironi Rugby, 6 caps)*
20 Fabio SEMENZATO (Benetton Treviso, 8 caps)
21 Tobias BOTES (Benetton Treviso, uncapped)
22 Gonzalo CANALE (Clermont-Auvergne, 72 caps)
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