Italy will be boosted by the return of lock Marco Bortolami and centre Andrea Marcato for their RBS Six Nations game in Scotland on February 28, but will be without Andrea Masi after the full-back received a three-week ban today.

ITALY coach Nick Mallett is looking for the Azzurri to play a perfect game against Ireland as they attempt to forget their opening 6 Nations defeat at England.

England 36 Italy 11

Treviso 16 Ospreys 36

Ospreys 68 Treviso 8

Scotland head coach Frank Hadden insisted there were positives to be taken from their 23-20 defeat at Italy.

Italy 23 Scotland 20

FRANCE captain Lionel Nallet preferred to dwell on his team’s victory over Italy rather than the prospect of registering a heavy win against Wales next weekend to retain the RBS 6 Nations Championship title.

France 25 Italy 13

Wales 47 Italy 8

ENGLAND are missing a trick in not following France’s lead and looking long-term towards the 2011 World Cup, according to Les Bleus defence coach David Ellis.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has been forced to make several changes to his team to face Wales in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship encounter in Cardiff.

JONNY WILKINSON clocked up 1,000 points for England as he guided the World Cup finalists through a hazardous Italian job and revived their RBS Six Nations campaign.

Marco Marcato of Team LPR won Sunday’s final stage of the Tour of Ireland cycle race.

Leinster secured a 40-21 victory over Benetton Treviso in last night's friendly in Donnybrook.

Treviso 26 Ulster 43

Italy U-21 19 Ireland U-2130

Italy A 11-28 Ireland A

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