Aironi without skipper for Ulster trip

Aironi coach Franco Bernini has named a near full strength side for his side’s first ever Heineken Cup game against Ulster on Friday night, although Captain Quintin Geldenhuys will be missing for the visitors.

The Magners League new boys have found the going tough since joining the league this year- the Italians are currently bottom of the table having endured five defeats thus far.

Aironi will be looking to the experience of ex-Munster player Nick Williams, former Gloucester fly-half Ludovic Mercier and Carlo del Fava, who had a spell with Ulster, to guide them through their first European test.

Italian prop Salvatore Perugini drops to the bench while Italian hooker Fabio Ongaro is absent through injury.

Aironi: 15 Danwel Demas, 14 Giiulio Toniolatti , 13 Rodd Penney, 12 Gilberto Pavan, 11 Giovanbattista Venditti, 10 Ludovic Mercier, 9 Tito Tebaldi, 8 Nick Williams, 7 Aldo Birchall, 6 Andrea Benatti, 5 Marco Bortolami, 4 Carlo del Fava, 3 Luca Redolfini, 2 Roberto Santamaria, 1 Alberto de Marchi.

Replacements: 16 Luigi Ferraro, 17 Andrea de Marchi, 18 Salvatore Perugini, 19 Vickus Liebenberg, 20 Nicola Cattina, 21 Pablo Canavosio, 22 Gabriel Pizarro, 23 Riccardo Bocchino.