Masi back for Italy
Andrea Masi returns at full-back in Italy’s only change for Sunday’s World Cup showdown with Ireland at Otago Stadium.
Masi replaces Luke McLean, who started Tuesday’s 27-10 victory over the United States.
Sergio Parisse captains Italy for the 35th time, two short of the national record of 37.
The Azzurri are searching for a third successive win at the World Cup and know that victory over Ireland will book their place in the quarter-finals at the expense of Sunday’s opponents.
A Masi (Racing Metro 92); T Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso), G Canale (Clermont), G Garcia (Benetton Treviso), Mirco Bergamasco (Racing Metro); L Orquera (Brive), F Semenzato (Benetton Treviso); S Perugini (Aironi), L Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso), M Castrogiovanni (Leicester), Q Geldenhuys (Aironi), C van Zyl (Benetton Treviso), A Zanni (Benetton Treviso), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais), S Parisse (Stade Francais, capt).
Replacements: F Ongaro (Aironi), A lo Cicero (Racing Metro), M Bortolami (Aironi), P Derbyshire (Benetton Treviso), E Gori (Benetton Treviso), R Bocchino (Aironi), L McLean (Benetton Treviso).
