Azzurri rocked as Bergamasco banned

ITALY flanker Mauro Bergamasco will miss Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Ireland after receiving a four-week ban for punching Wales captain Stephen Jones.

The suspension also means Bergamasco, who plays club rugby with Stade Francais, misses the Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leicester on April 1. The 27-year-old, who attended the disciplinary hearing in London last night, can resume playing on April 9.

The loss of Bergamasco will be a huge blow for Italy, who are already without key centre Gonzalo Canale.

Bergamasco is a talented and versatile operator and scored the winning try against Wales. He started against Wales at openside flanker before moving to the centre after Canale picked up a thigh injury.

There was some positive news for Azzurri coach Pierre Berbizier with centre Matteo Barbini, hooker Fabio Ongaro and flanker Josh Sole returning to training.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Chabal and Dimitri Yachvili have been dropped from France’s squad for their clash with Scotland on Saturday. The pair struggled in the 26-18 defeat to England and Les Bleus have opted to bring in Elvis Vermeulen for Sale’s Chabal at number eight and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde for Yachvili at scrum-half.

Biarritz star Damien Traille, who is yet to make an appearance in the Six Nations, is one of three centres included in an enlarged 23-man squad for the Stade de France encounter.

If fly-half David Skrela fails to recover from a fibula injury, Lionel Beauxis will play at number 10 and Traille will be back-up in that position. The starting XV will be named this morning.

France squad (v Scotland, Paris):

Forwards: R Ibanez (Wasps, capt), S Bruno (Sale), O Milloud (Bourgoin), N Mas (Perpignan), P De Villiers (Stade Francais), L Nallet, P Pape (both Castres), J Thion, S Betsen (both Biarritz), J Bonnaire (Bourgoin), I Harinordoquy (Biarritz), E Vermeulen (Clermont-Auvergne).

Backs: P Mignoni (Clermont-Auvergne), J-B Elissalde (Toulouse), D Skrela, L Beauxis (both Stade Francais), Y Jauzion (Toulouse), D Marty (Perpignan), D Traille (Biarritz), C Heymans (Toulouse), C Dominici (Stade Francais), V Clerc, C Poitrenaud (Toulouse).