Mauro Bergamasco: foot injury
Stade Francais flanker Mauro Bergamasco has been named in the Italy squad to face New Zealand on November 14 after recovering from a foot problem.
Bergamasco was a doubt for the November Tests against the All Blacks, South Africa and Samoa, but has made a surprise return to a 30-man squad alongside fly-halves Kristopher Burton and Simon Picone and hooker Fabio Ongaro.
The rest of the squad for the Test at Milan's San Siro stadium comprises players who were called up for a training camp held over the last five days.
Notable names missing from the 30 include Carlo Festuccia, Paul Derbyshire, Francesco Minto, Luciano Orquera, Fabio Semenzato and Lorenzo Cittadini.
Azzurri head coach Nick Mallett will cut the squad to 24 on Tuesday.
Italy squad:
Forwards: Matias Aguero, Mauro Bergamasco, Martin Castrogiovanni, Carlo Antonio Del Fava, Simone Favaro, Quintin Geldenhuys, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Fabio Ongaro, Sergio Parisse, Antonio Pavanello, Salvatore Perugini, Tommaso Reato, Ignacio Rouyet, Josh Sole, Manoa Vosawai, Alessandro Zanni.
Backs: Tommaso Benvenuti, Mirco Bergamasco, Kristopher Burton, Gonzalo Canale, Gonzalo Garcia, Craig Gower, Luke McLean, Simon Picone, Matteo Pratichetti, Kaine Robertson, Michele Sepe, Alberto Sgarbi, Tito Tebaldi, Giovanbattista Venditti.
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| RBS Six Nations | |
| Saturday 13th February | |
| RBS Six Nations | |
| 14:00 | Wales vs Scotland |
| 16:30 | France vs Ireland |
| Sunday 14th February | |
| 14:30 | Italy vs England |
| Friday 26th February | |
| 20:00 | Wales vs France |
| Saturday 27th February | |
| 13:30 | Italy vs Scotland |
| 16:00 | England vs Ireland |
| Saturday 13th March | |
| 14:30 | Ireland vs Wales |
| 17:00 | Scotland vs England |
| Sunday 14th March | |
| 14:30 | France vs Italy |
| Saturday 20th March | |
| 14:30 | Wales vs Italy |
| 17:00 | Ireland vs Scotland |
| 19:45 | France vs England |
| Result |
|---|
| RBS Six Nations |
| Sunday 7th February |
| RBS Six Nations |
| Scotland 9 - 18 France |
| Saturday 6th February |
| England 30 - 17 Wales |
| Ireland 29 - 11 Italy |
Stuart Barnes says a change of outlook will help England, as will a change of personnel against Italy.
Skysports.com names its team of the weekend from the opening round of RBS Six Nations matches.
Ireland are in a position to make the rest of their RBS Six Nations rivals extremely jealous.
France coach Marc Lievremont has made just two injury-enforced changes for Saturday's crunch RBS Six Nations clash with Ireland.
Wales second-rower Alun-Wyn Jones thought his costly sin-binning against England might jeopardise his international career.
Lewis Moody has urged his England team-mates to follow his enthusiastic lead in Sunday's RBS Six Nations clash with Italy.
Stephen Ferris has been given extra time to recover from injury ahead of the crunch RBS Six Nations clash with France.
Lock Alun-Wyn Jones has kept his place, but Wales coach Warren Gatland has made two changes for Saturday's clash with Scotland.