Key duo return for Azzurri

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.

Both Bortolami and Marcato missed last Sunday’s 38-9 defeat to Ireland in Rome through injury but have recovered and have been included in coach Nick Mallett’s squad.

Their presence will be a blessing for Mallett, who will be without Masi for the Murrayfield encounter.

The Biarritz full-back was today found guilty of committing a dangerous tackle on Ireland’s Rob Kearney – an incident which saw him sin-binned inside the opening minute of the loss at the Stadio Flaminio.

Masi admitted the offence and has been suspended for three weeks, ruling him out up to and including Sunday March 8.

Scrum-half Pablo Canavosio and hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini have made the team after missing the Azzurri’s opening two defeats to England at Twickenham and against Ireland through injury, while Overmach Cariparma utility back Giulio Rubini has been handed his first call-up to the national team.

The Azzurri will return to training on Sunday in preparation for the game at Murrayfield.

Italy’s squad for their RBS 6 Nations match against Scotland in Edinburgh a week on Saturday:

Backs: Gonzale Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), Gonzalo Garcia (Calvisano), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais); Andrea Marcato (Benetton Treviso), Paul Griffen (Calvisano), Luke McLean (Calvisano), Andrea Bacchetti (Rovigo), Pablo Canavosio (Viadana), Matteo Pratichetti (Calvisano), Giulio Rubini (Overmach Cariparma).

Forwards: Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais), Marco Bortolami (Gloucester), Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester), Carlo Antonio del Fava (Ulster), Santiago Dellape (Toulon), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Calvisano), Carlos Nieto (Gloucester), Fabio Ongaro (Saracens), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais), Salvatore Perugini (Stade Toulousain), Ignacio Rouyet (Viadana), Josh Sole (Viadana), Alessandro Zanni (Calvisano).