Italy coach Nick Mallett has handed Benetton Treviso’s Kristopher Burton the number 10 shirt for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland at Rome’s Flaminio Stadium.

Nick Mallett embarks on his fourth RBS 6 Nations campaign as coach of Italy looking for continued progress from his players.

IRELAND’s Tommy Bowe believes Declan Kidney’s men are “looking good” as they look to repeat their historic Grand Slam of 2009 in the upcoming Six Nations Championship.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has named a 24-man squad for the first two games of the RBS 6 Nations.

WALES captain Ryan Jones has backed teenage record-breaker Tom Prydie to seize his moment when he “lives the dream” today.

Italy fly-half Craig Gower believes his side are moving in the right direction, even though they could yet end up with the RBS 6 Nations wooden spoon.

WALES out-half Stephen Jones has welcomed the return of skipper Ryan Jones, prop Gethin Jenkins and scrum-half Mike Phillips from injury for his side’s clash with Italy tomorrow in Cardiff.

FRANCE defence coach Dave Ellis was delighted with his side’s six-try show against Italy as Les Bleus remained on course for the Grand Slam.

Italy coach Nick Mallett believes his team’s triumph over Scotland was a just reward for the hard work done by his squad in the last six months.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has made no changes to the starting XV that lost their last RBS 6 Nations match to England for the game against Scotland in Rome on Saturday.

Carlo Antonio Del Fava is the surprise inclusion in Italy’s 30-man squad to face Scotland in their next RBS 6 Nations clash.

Italy 12 England 17

LEICESTER tight-head prop Dan Cole has admitted the prospect of anchoring the England pack in a full international was not even on his radar at the start of this season.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has been forced to make two changes to his 24-man squad ahead of the RBS 6 Nations match against England in Rome on Sunday.

IT WAS the one area, they said, where Ireland were vulnerable against the Italians, the one area where Italy could make Ireland suffer.

Ireland 29 Italy 11

BOXING is one of the few sporting activities in which the protagonists talk themselves up and promise to hammer the opposition into submission in the lead-up to a contest.

IRELAND coach Declan Kidney is bracing himself for a possible second major injury blow in as many days with skipper Brian O’Driscoll another injury concern for tomorrow’s Six Nations opener against Italy at Croke Park.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has made no changes to the squad that beat Samoa in November for Saturday´s RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland at Croke Park.

ITALY head coach Nick Mallett has named his 24-man squad ahead of the RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland at Croke Park on Saturday.

Italy head coach Nick Mallett has named his 24-man squad ahead of the RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland at Croke Park on Saturday.

Italy 24 Samoa 6

SOUTH AFRICA captain John Smit may return to the middle of the front row for his side’s visit to Dublin to take on Ireland next weekend.

Italy 10 South Africa 32

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry claims uncertainty over scrum laws is ruining the game for spectators after watching his second-string side labour to victory over Italy at the San Siro on Saturday.

Italy 6 New Zealand 20

New Zealand 27 Italy 6

Australia 34 Italy 12

Australia’s selectors broke with tradition by naming St Helens centre Jamie Lyon in their Tri-Nations squad.

Andrew Johns was today ruled out of the Kangaroos' Gillette Tri-Nations Series matches against Ireland and Great Britain.

Australia have made three changes, all of them enforced through injury and illness, for tomorrow’s Gillette Tri-Nations match with Great Britain at the City of Manchester Stadium.