Italy v USA: Teams
Italy will look to keep alive their quarter-final hopes when they take on the USA in Nelson.
Last Updated: 26/09/11 7:27am
Italy will look to keep alive their quarter-final hopes when they take on the USA in Nelson.
The Azzurri believe they can upset the odds in Pool C and they will set up a mouth-watering decider with Ireland on Sunday if they can see off the threat of the Eagles.
However the USA are targeting a shock of their own and are confident they can record a second win in this year's tournament.
Italy have made a total of 11 changes for the match - ten personnel and one positional - with one eye seemingly on their encounter with Ireland in Dunedin.
Luciano Orquera is preferred at fly-half for the clash, with Fabio Semenzato coming in at scrum-half.
Gonzalo Canale, Gonzalo Garcia and Mirco Bergamasco also come into the back division with the impressive Tommaso Benvenuti switching back to the wing. Andrea Masi's late withdrawal means Luke McLean is named at full-back.
Retained
In the pack, Alessandro Zanni, Cornelius van Zyl, Martin Castrogiovanni and Leonardo Ghiraldini are all handed starts.
The USA complete their World Cup campaign at Trafalgar Park, with coach Eddie O'Sullivan returning to his first-choice XV after fielding a weakened side against Australia.
Only Saracens lock Hayden Smith is retained, with the likes of Chris Wyles, Takudzwa Ngwenya, Paul Emerick, Mike MacDonald and skipper Todd Clever all handed recalls.
Nottingham scrum-half Tim Usasz, who captained the side against the Wallabies, drops to the bench.
Italy: 15 Luke McLean, 14 Tommaso Benvenuti, 13 Gonzalo Canale, 12 Gonzalo Garcia, 11 Mirco Bergamasco, 10 Luciano Orquera, 9 Fabio Semenzato, 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Mauro Bergamasco, 6 Alessandro Zanni, 5 Cornelius van Zyl, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Salvatore Perugini.
Replacements: 16 Fabio Ongaro, 17 Andrea Lo Cicero, 18 Marco Bortolami, 19 Paul Derbyshire, 20 Edoardo Gori, 21 Riccardo Bocchino, 22 Giulio Toniolatti.
USA: 15 Chris Wyles, 14 Takudzwa Ngwenya, 13 Paul Emerick, 12 Andrew Suniula, 11 James Paterson, 10 Roland Suniula, 9 Mike Petri, 8 Nic Johnson, 7 Todd Clever (c), 6 Louis Stanfill, 5 Hayden Smith, 4 John van der Giessen, 3 Matekitonga Moeakiola, 2 Chris Biller, 1 Mike MacDonald.
Replacements: 16 Phil Thiel, 17 Shawn Pittman, 18 Scott LaValla, 19 Pat Danahy, 20 Tim Usasz, 21 Nese Malifa, 22 Blaine Scully.
