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Bortolami out of key game

Berbizier is forced to name a side without Bortolami in it

Italy captain Marco Bortolami has been ruled out of Saturday's winner-takes-all Pool C clash with Scotland in Saint Etienne because of injury.

The Gloucester lock has not trained this week because of hamstring and neck problems, and he has failed to recover in time to make coach Pierre Berbizier's line-up.

Bortolami is replaced by the fit-again Santiago Dellape in one of seven changes in personnel from the Azzurri team that struggled to see off Portugal 31-5 last week.

There are three other alterations in the pack, with prop Salvatore Perugini, hooker Carlo Festuccia and flanker Josh Sole recalled.

Andrea Lo Cicero, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Manoa Vosawai are the players to miss out.

Sergio Parisse reverts to his usual position of number eight, with Sole coming in on the openside flank.

In the backs, Ramiro Pez ousts Roland de Marigny at fly-half, while there are returns for winger Kaine Robertson and centre Mirco Bergamasco.

Bergamasco partners Gonzalo Canale in midfield, with Andrea Masi moving to the wing as a replacement for Matteo Pratichetti.

Veteran scrum-half Alessandro Troncon is named as captain in the absence of Bortolami.

Italy have been poor so far in the World Cup, failing to pick up bonus points in their scrappy wins over group minnows Romania and Portugal.

The were thrashed 76-14 by New Zealand in their opener.

Whoever wins at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Saturday will probably take on Argentina in Paris in the quarter-finals.

Italy: 15 David Bortolussi, 14 Kaine Robertson, 13 Gonzalo Canale, 12 Mirco Bergamasco, 11 Andrea Masi, 10 Ramiro Pez, 9 Alessandro Troncon (c), 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Mauro Bergamasco, 6 Josh Sole, 5 Carlo Del Fava, 4 Santiago Dellapè, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Carlo Festuccia, 1 Salvatore Perugini.
Replacements: 16 Fabio Ongaro, 17 Andrea Lo Cicero, 18 Valerio Bernabò, 19 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 20 Paul Griffen, 21 Roland de Marigny, 22 Ezio Galon.

Date: Saturday September 29, 2007
Kick off: 21:00 (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT)
Venue: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint Etienne
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Touch judges: Wayne Barnes, Hugh Watkins
Television match official: Dave Pearson
Assessor: Bob Francis