Kirwan picks stronger side

Italy coach John Kirwan has pulled back from his threat to field an entire second 15 in Saturday’s Pool D clash with New Zealand in Melbourne.

Believing his side were going to get hammered anyway, Kirwan had claimed he would rest all his key men for the later games against Canada, Tonga and Wales which will determine whether his team reaches the last eight.

In the end, Kirwan has left captain Alessandro Troncon on the bench and omitted Leeds back-row Aaron Persico, winger Denis Dallan and prop Andrea Lo Cicero, while Mauro Bergamasco and lock Carlo Checcinato have been selected.

Team: G Peens (Parma); Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais), A Masi (Viadana), M Barbini (Padova), N Mazzucato (Calvisano); F Mazzariol (Parma), M Mazzantini (Viadana); S Perugini (Calvisano), C Festuccia (Parma), R Martinez (Treviso), C Checcinato (Treviso, cpt), C Bezzi (Viadana), S Palmer (Treviso), M Bergamasco (Stade Francais), M Phillips (Viadana). Replacements: F Ongaro (Treviso), M Castrogiovanni (Calvisano), S Parisse (Treviso), A Benatti (Viadana), A Troncon (Treviso), R Wakarua (Leonessa), G Canale (Treviso).