OUTHALF TOBIAS Botes will make his first start for Italy in Saturday’s Six Nations meeting with Ireland after coach Jacques Brunel made four changes from the team who lost to England.
Treviso’s South Africa-born Botes, who has made two replacement appearances during this year’s tournament, has come in for Kristopher Burton as Italy try out yet another player in their problem position. Burton drops to the bench alongside Gonzalo Canale with Alberto Sgarbi returning in his place at centre.
Prop Martin Castrogiovanni, who cracked a rib in the 19-15 defeat by England in Rome, has been ruled out for the rest of the competition so Lorenzo Cittadini has come in with Michele Rizzo another change in the frontrow.
Scotland head coach Andy Robinson is excited at the prospect of seeing Stuart Hogg (19) run at France in Sunday’s match at Murrayfield. The Glasgow Warriors fullback was yesterday named in a Scotland team showing four changes from the one which lost 27-13 to Wales.
Hogg, who made his debut in Cardiff, is set to make his first Test start, while there were recalls for flanker John Barclay, scrumhalf Mike Blair and centre Graeme Morrison. In addition, there were two further positional switches – Seán Lamont moving to outside centre and Rory Lamont to the wing.
Ireland Under-20 coach Mike Ruddock has made a number of changes from the side that beat France 12-13 in the last round for tomorrow’s match against Italy in Ballinasloe. Tadgh Beirne partners Ian Henderson in the secondrow with a new look backrow seeing Jordan Coughlan partner Conor Gilsean and Jack Conan.
Changes to the backs see Foster Horan named on the wing with Kieran Marmion returning to the scrumhalf position.
ITALY (v Ireland): A Masi; G Venditti, T Benvenuti, A Sgarbi, L McLean; T Botes, E Gori; M Rizzo, L Ghiraldini, L Cittadini, Q Geldenhuys, M Bortolami, A Zanni, R Barbieri, S Parisse (capt). Replacements: T DApice, F Staibano,A Pavanello, S Favaro, F Semenzato, K Burton, G Canale.
SCOTLAND (v France): S Hogg; R Lamont, S Lamont, G Morrison, L Jones; G Laidlaw, M Blair; A Jacobsen, R Ford (capt), G Cross, R Gray, J Hamilton, J Barclay, R Rennie, D Denton. Replacements: S Lawson, E Kalman, A Kellock, R Vernon, C Cusiter, D Weir, N De Luca.
IRELAND UNDER-20 (v Italy): S Layden; C Finn, C Farrell, JJ Hanrahan, F Horan; P Jackson, K Marmion; K McCall, N Scannell, P Reilly, T Beirne, I Henderson, J Coghlan, C Gilsenan, J Conan. Replacements: J Rael, D Merrey, J Cawley, D Qualter, A Conneely, L McGrath, C Marsh, S Olding.
