Former Penrith rugby league captain Craig Gower has been retained at five-eighth in a radically changed Italian team for Saturday night's rugby union Test against Australia in Melbourne.
Gower's one of only five players who started in the 31-8 loss to the Wallabies in Canberra last Saturday night who have been retained for the Etihad Stadium clash.
Fellow Australian-born back Luke McLean has also kept his position as fullback, while Gower should receive better service from new halfback Tito Tebaldi.
The Azzurri coach Nick Mallett says the wholesale changes are a pre-conceived plan before Italy's three-Test trans-Tasman tour began to ensure all 30 players in his squad get some game time before their final match against the All Blacks in Christchurch next week.
Italy: Luke McLean, Giulio Rubini, Gonzalo Canale, Gonzalo Garcia, Alberto Sgarbi, Craig Gower, Tito Tebaldi, Sergio Parisse (capt), Simone Favaro, Jean Francois Montauriol, Marco Bortolami, Tommaso Reato, Fabio Staibano, Franco Sbaraglini, Matias Aguero. Res: Leonardo Ghiraldini, Salvatore Perugini, Quintin Geldenhuys, Alessandro Zanni, Giulio Toniolatti, Kris Burton, Roberto Quartaroli.
