Italy make seven changes for South African Test

Italy have made seven changes from the team that beat Ireland last March for a Test against South Africa in Durban Saturday.

Centres Gonzalo Canale and Gonzalo Garcia, fly-half Luciano Orquera and lock Joshua Furno are in the touring party but failed to get the nod from French coach Jacques Brunel.

Injuries ruled lock Quinton Geldenhuys and flank Simone Favaro out of the three-Test tour to the republic while loose-head prop Andrea Lo Cicero has retired.

Luca Morisi and Alberto Sgarbi are the new centres and uncapped Alberto Di Bernardo takes over at fly-half for the first round match in a four-nation tournament.

Alberto De Marchi replaces Cicero in the front row, the new locks are Antonio Pavanello and Marco Bortolami, and Robert Barbieri comes into the Azzurri (Blues) back row.

Di Bernardo makes his international debut at 32 with fellow Argentine-born fly-half Orquera dropping to the bench while Bortolami, who turns 33 next Wednesday, returns after a long shoulder injury lay-off.

Italy defeated Ireland 22-15 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome to complete a Six Nations campaign in which they also overcame France at home and lost 18-11 to England at Twickenham.

Italy 

Andrea Masi; Giovanbattista Venditti, Luca Morisi, Alberto Sgarbi, Luke McLean; Alberto Di Bernardo, Edoardo Gori; Sergio Parisse (capt), Robert Barbieri, Alessandro Zanni; Marco Bortolami, Antonio Pavanello; Lorenzo Cittadini, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Alberto De Marchi

Replacements:Davide Giazzon, Matias Aguero, Martin Castrogiovanni, Valerio Bernabo, Joshua Furno, Tobias Botes, Luciano Orquera, Tommaso Iannone