Pez left out by Italy

Ramiro Pez has been left out by Italy for the first two games of the RBS Six Nations Championship.

Parisse set to make debut as Azzurri captain

Italy fly-half Ramiro Pez has been left out of the 25-man squad selected by coach Nick Mallett for their opening two games of the RBS Six Nations Championship. Mallet, who succeeded Pierre Berbizier at the Azzurri helm in November, has dropped the Venezia number 10 for the matches against Ireland on February 2nd and against England eight days later. The Ireland clash will see Stade Francais' Sergio Parisse make his debut as captain of the national team, having taken over the role from Marco Bortolami. Gloucester lock Bortolami, 27, is unavailable for the visit to Dublin having suffered an eye injury.

Italy squad: Forwards: Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais), M Castrogiovanni (Leicester), CA Del Fava (Ulster), S Dellape (Biarritz), C Festuccia (Racing Metro Paris), L Ghiraldini (Calvisano), A Lo Cicero (Racing Metro Paris), C Nieto (Gloucester), S Parisse (Stade Francais, captain), S Perugini (Toulouse), T Reato (Femi CZ Rovigo), J Sole (Viadana), A Zanni (Calvisano). Backs: Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais), D Bortolussi (Montpellier), G Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), P Canavosio (Castres), E Galon (Cariparma), A Marcato (Treviso), A Masi (Biarritz), S Picone (Treviso), M Pratichetti (Calvisano), KP Robertson (Viadana), A Sgarbi (Treviso), P Travagli (Cariparma).