Italy's new coach Nick Mallett has moved Andrea Masi from centre to outhalf for Saturday's opening Six Nations match against Ireland at Croke Park.

Mallett, who hasn't picked World Cup outhalf Ramiro Pez in his squad, acknowledged he was taking a risk picking Masi at number 10 ahead of the inexperienced Andrea Marcato. Roland de Marigny, Pez's understudy in France last year, is injured.

"We've got to start somewhere. The flyhalf position has been a problem in the past," former South Africa coach Mallett explained.

"The sooner I see Masi playing the better and the sooner he will improve. He'll be there for the next three games and hopefully will be there for the whole Six Nations.

"I'm trying to introduce more variety, to do that I need a back line that can be dangerous and can threaten. I've picked a number 10 that can do that. You can't always go for safety first."

Mallett has also gambled by naming Pietro Travagli at scrumhalf, with his last of two caps coming against New Zealand in 2004.

Simon Picone is not 100 per cent fit but will be available later in the competition while winger Matteo Pratichetti was ruled out of the Ireland game because of a shoulder injury.

Former captain Marco Bortolami is scheduled to return in a month after suffering facial fractures playing in the Heineken Cup for Gloucester earlier in January.

Italy are hoping to better last year's record showing in the Six Nations when they won twice.

Italy: D Bortolussi (Montpellier); K Robertson (Viadana), G Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), M Bergamasco (Stade Francais), P Canavosio (Castres); A Masi (Biarritz), P Travagli (Overmach Parma); A Lo Cicero (Racing-Metro), L Ghiraldini (Calvisano), M Castrogiovanni (Leicester), S Dellape (Biarritz), CA Del Fava (Ulster), J Sole (Viadana), M Bergamasco (Stade Francais), S Parisse
(Stade Francais, capt). Replacements: C Festuccia (Racing-Metro), S Perugini (Stade Toulousain), C
Nieto (Gloucester), T Reato (Rovigo), A Zanni (Calvisano), A Marcato (Treviso),
E Galon (Overmach Parma).