Italy make 10 changes for Chile clash, captain Lamaro returns

Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada shuffled their line-up on Thursday for their first-ever meeting with Chile this weekend, making 10 changes to the team which lost to South Africa, with captain Michele Lamaro back from injury.

Lamaro missed Italy's opening two Autumn Series matches, where they beat Australia 26-19 before going down 32-14 to the Springboks last Saturday, and the flanker returns from a thigh injury to take on Chile in Genoa on Saturday.

Saturday's test at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris is Italy's final match of the series, and they take on a Chile side which has qualified for their second successive World Cup, having made their debut in 2023.

Ange Capuozzo, who scored Italy's only try against South Africa, Monty Ioane, Tommaso Menoncello, and the Cannone brothers Niccolo and Lorenzo are the five players who keep their places from the defeat to the 14-man Springboks.

Alessandro Izekor comes in for Ross Vintcent after the flanker picked up a shoulder injury against South Africa while prop Simone Ferrari is back in the starting side to replace Marco Riccioni who picked up an injury in training.

Mirko Belloni will make his third appearance for Italy with the 21-year-old coming in for wing Louis Lynagh, Leonardo Marin replaces centre Juan Ignacio Brex who is on the bench and Giacomo Da Re is chosen at flyhalf instead of Paolo Garbisi.

Paolo's brother Alessandro is in at scrumhalf in place of Stephen Varney. In the front row, hooker Tommaso Di Bartolomeo and prop Muhamed Hasa both make their first starts for Italy.

The other change brings lock Federico Ruzza in for Andrea Zambonin. Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi and Edoardo Todaro are in line to earn their first caps with the two 19-year-olds named among the replacements.

Team:

15-Ange