Azzurri now rope in an Aussie

Australian-born lock Joshua Furno was called-up by Italy coach Jacques Brunel on Saturday, as a replacement for his Aironi clubmate Carlo del Fava for the remaining Six Nations games against Wales and Scotland.

Furno, 22 and with just the one previous cap, replaces del Fava after the latter suffered a shoulder injury in Friday's 22-6 Celtic League defeat by Leinster.

Italy face unbeaten Wales in Cardiff on March 10 before what is likely to be a wooden spoon decider against Scotland in Rome a week later.

Both Italy and Scotland have lost all three of their games in the championship.

Revised Italian squad:

Forwards: Fabio Staibano (Aironi), Lorenzo Cittadini (Treviso), Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing-Metro/France), Michele Rizzo (Treviso), Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester Tigers/England), Tommaso D'Apice (Aironi), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Treviso), Quintin Geldenhuys (Aironi), Cornelius Van Zyl (Treviso), Marco Bortolami (Aironi), Joshua Furno (Aironi), Robert Barbieri (Treviso), Manoa Vosawai (Treviso), Francesco Minto (Treviso), Simone Favaro (Aironi), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais/France, captain), Alessandro Zanni (Treviso)

Backs: Fabio Semenzato (Treviso), Edoardo Gori (Treviso), Kristopher Burton (Treviso), Tobias Botes (Treviso), Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont/France), Luca Morisi (Parma Crociati), Alberto Sgarbi (Treviso), Giulio Toniolatti (Aironi), Mirco Bergamasco (Racing-Metro/France), Roberto Quartaroli (Aironi), Giovanbattista Venditti (Aironi), Andrea Masi (Aironi), Luke McLean (Treviso)

AFP