Burton returns for Italy

Italy coach Nick Mallett has made three changes to the starting XV for Saturday's RBS Six Nations clash with Wales.

Lock Dellape and flanker Barbieri drafted in to bolster the pack

Italy coach Nick Mallett has made three changes to the starting XV for Saturday's RBS Six Nations clash with Wales in Rome. Australian-born fly-half Kristopher Burton has been drafted in to replace Luciano Orquera, who has to make do with a seat on the bench. Mallett has also opted to make two alterations to the pack following the 59-13 mauling suffered at the hands of England at Twickenham last time out. Lock Santiago Dellape comes in for Carlo Del Fava, who is dropped from the matchday squad completely, while Robert Barbieri is preferred to Valerio Bernabo in the second row.

Vosawai recalled

Bernabo is included amongst the replacements, where there are also places for Carlo Festuccia, who replaces injured hooker Fabio Ongaro, and Fiji-born flanker Manoa Vosawai. Italy have so far suffered two contrasting losses in this year's championship; before succumbing to England on their travels they had pushed Ireland all the way on home soil, eventually going down to a last-gasp 13-11 defeat. Burton started in the No.10 jersey in the Six Nations opener against the Irish, but was dropped to the bench for the second match. "It was a technical choice," Italy team manager Luigi Troiani said. "He is important from the point of view of the type of game we want to play and our gameplan. "We're not as good as England but we're not 46 points worse than them, that's not our level because the week before you saw that we have a solid defence. "It wasn't a collective problem but one-on-one and we won't suffer what happened against England again - it was just an ugly interlude." The match against Wales will see flanker Alessandro Zanni win his 50th cap, while captain Sergio Parisse will make his 75th appearance for the Azzurri. Italy team to face Wales in Rome:
15 Luke McLean, 14 Andrea Masi, 13 Gonzalo Canale, 12 Alberto Sgarbi, 11 Mirco Bergamasco, 10 Kristopher Burton, 9 Fabio Semenzato; 1 Salvatore Perugini, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 4 Santiago Dellape, 5 Quintin Geldenhuys, 6 Alessandro Zanni, 7 Robert Barbieri, 8 Sergio Parisse
Replacements: 16 Carlo Festuccia, 17 Andrea Lo Cicero, 18 Valerio Bernabo, 19 Manoa Vosawai, 20 Pablo Canavosio, 21 Luciano Orquera, 22 Tommaso Benvenuti