SA-born Botes starts for Italy
Italy coach Jacques Brunel has made wholesale changes to his team for Saturday’s third-place play-off against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld.
Brunel has made 10 changes to the starting line-up after the heavy defeat against Samoa in Nelspruit last Saturday, handing debuts for wing Leonardo Sarto and lock Leandro Cedaro.
South African-born Tobias Botes will start in the No.9 jersey where he will pair up with Treviso teammate Alberto di Bernardo in the national team for the first time, with Alberto Sgarbi and Luca Morisi named in midfield.
A double change in the back row sees captain Sergio Parisse joined by Robert Barbieri and Joshua Furno, who replaces Mauro Bergamasco and Alessandro Zanni respectively.
Up front, Matias Aguero replaces Alberto De Marchi and Davide Giazzon starts at hooker in place of Leonardo Ghiraldini.
Italy: 15 Andrea Masi, 14 Leonardo Sarto, 13 Luca Morisi, 12 Alberto Sgarbi, 11 Giovanbattista Venditti, 10 Alberto Di Bernardo, 9 Tobias Botes, 8 Sergio Parisse (captain), 7 Robert Barbieri, 6 Joshua Furno, 5 Marco Bortolami, 4 Leandro Cedaro, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Davide Giazzon, 1 Matias Aguero.
Replacements: 16 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17 Alberto De Marchi, 18 Lorenzo Cittadini, 19 Antonio Pavanello, 20 Alessandro Zanni, 21 Alberto Chillon, 22 Gonzalo Canale, 23 Luke McLean.
Date: Saturday, June 22
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 14.15 (12.15 GMT)
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa), Cobus Wessels (South Africa)
TMO: Deon van Blommestein (South Africa)
