Teros play Azzurri
For Uruguay 2007 has been a massive disappointment. Full of hope of again going to the World Cup, they had their hopes frustrated by Portugal.
This match would not doubt have served as a warm-up for both sides. It still helps the Italians who have a somewhat experimental side.
Pierre Berbizier has chosen two new caps – fullback Christopher Burton and outside centre Enrico Patrizio. Patrizio will play outside of vastly experienced Cristian Stoica who wins his 70th cap and becomes the fourth most capped Italian rugby player of all time, moving ahead of Massimo Cuttita.
While Italy has the wings who played in the last two Six Nations matches Roland de Marigny and Paul Griffin are an experiment as the halfback combination as far as Berbizier is concerned though they played together in 2004.
Neither of the two first-choice locks, Santiago Dellape, who is on the bench for Biarritz, noir Marco Bortolami are playing but young Valerio Bernabo earns his second cap and locks the scrum with South African Carlo Dal Fava. For the first time Andrea Lo Cicero will captain his country on the 65th occasion that he will be playing for Italy.
It is a match which Italy would be expected to win comfortably.
Previous results:
2001: Italy won 14-3 in Montevideo
1999: Italy won 49-17 in L’Aquila
Teams:
Italy: 15 Christopher Burton, 14 Kaine Robertson, 13 Enrico Patrizio, 12 Cristian Stoica, 11 Matteo Pratichetti, 10 Roland De Marigny, 9 Paul Griffen, 8 Alessandro Zanni, 7 Robert Barbieri, 6 Josh Sole, 5 Valerio Bernabo’, 4 Carlo Antonio Del Fava, 3 Fabio Staibano, 2 Carlo Festuccia, 1 Andrea Lo Cicero (captain)
Replacements: 16 Fabio Ongaro, 17 Matias Aguero, 18 Roberto Mandelli, 19 Silvio Orlando, 20 Ezio Galon, 21 Alessio Galante, 22 David Bortolussi
Uruguay squad of 24: Rodrigo Sanchez, Federico Capo, Martin Espiga, Nicolas Klappenbach, Carlos Arboleya, Mario Sagario, Juan Miguel Alvarez, Carlos Protasi, Ignacio Lussich, Juan Alzueta, Roberto Posse, Alfredo Giuria, Ignacio Conti, Santiago Ariano, Martin Crossa, Ignacio Crossa, Joaquin Pastore, Manuel Martinez, Juan Labat, Matias Arocena, Juan Martin Llovet, Nicolas Morales, Francisco Bulanti, Ivo Dugongic
Date: 2 June 2007
Kick-off: 15.00 (local time) (20.00 Italian time)
Venue: Gran Parque Central, Montevideo
Expectred weather conditions: Partly cloudy with a high of 15?C, dropping to 7?C and a westerly wind of 25 km/h, dropping somewhat.
Referee: Rob Debney (England)
Touch judges: David Rose ( England), Javier Mancuso (Argentina)
Assessor: Carlos Molinari (Argentina)
