Canale starts for Azzurri

Italy coach Jacques Brunel made only one change from the side that started in the 23-18 triumph over France last week for the Azzurri's second Six Nations challenge against Scotland on Saturday.

Gonzalo Canale, who plays club rugby for La Rochelle in France, replaces Alberto Sgarbi at inside centre after the latter picked up an injury knock.

It is the only change from the team that battled through a bruising and entertaining encounter against France at the Olympic Stadium to record a famous victory in Rome last Sunday.

Brunel has kept faith with the pairing of Luciano Orquera and Tobias Botes, the former having kicked 10 points in the France victory before Kris Burton sealed the win with a 68th-minute drop-goal.

Burton once again starts on the bench for the Azzurri, who will travel to Murrayfield hoping to notch their third successive win in the tournament having capped last year's edition with victory over Scotland.

Edinburgh could also be a memorable occasion for loosehead prop Andrea Lo Cicero, who will pick up his 100th Italy cap in the Scottish capital to sit just one behind the 101-cap record of Alessandro Troncon.

Italy's next Six Nations game at home is against Wales on February 23.

Italy: 15 Andrea Masi, 14 Giovambattista Venditti, 13 Tommaso Benvenuti, 12 Gonzalo Canale, 11 Luke McLean, 10 Luciano Orquera, 9 Tobias Botes, 8 Sergio Parisse (captain), 7 Simone Favaro, 6 Alessandro Zanni, 5 Francesco Minto, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Andrea Lo Cicero.

Replacements: 16 Davide Giazzon, 17 Alberto De Marchi , 18 Lorenzo Cittadini, 19 Antonio Pavanello, 20 Paul Derbyshire, 21 Edoardo Gori, 22 Kristopher Burton, 23 Gonzalo Garcia.

Date: Saturday, February 9

Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Kick-off: 14.30 (14.30 GMT)

Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)

Assistant referees: John Lacey (Ireland), Leighton Hodges (Wales)

TMO: Marshall Kilgore (Ireland)

AFP