Mallett names one new cap

October 23, 2008 - 2:11PM

Italy coach Nick Mallett today named one uncapped player in his 26-man squad to face Australia, Argentina and the Pacific Islands in three Test matches next month.

Scrum half Giulio Toniolatti of Capitolina Rome is the new addition who should go on to make his debut as he is the only recognisable number nine in the squad.

Mallett has recalled Saracens prop Matias Aguero and Brive fly-half Luciano Orquera to his party.

Aguero has not pulled on the Italy shirt since the World Cup last year and the last of Orquera's 10 caps was back in 2005.

Italy play Australia in Padova on November 8 before travelling to Turin to face Argentina a week later and rounding off their series with a match against the Pacific Islands on November 22 in Parma.

South African coach Mallett picked 14 forwards and 12 backs in his squad.

Squad:

Forwards

Matias Aguero (Saracens/ENG), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais/FRA), Marco Bortolami (Gloucester/ENG), Carlo Antonio Del Fava (Ulster/IRL), Santiago Dellape (Toulon/FRA), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Calvisano), Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro Paris/FRA), Carlos Nieto (Gloucester/ENG), Fabio Ongaro (Saracens/ENG), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais/FRA - capt), Salvatore Perugini (Toulouse/FRA), Tommaso Reato (Rovigo), Josh Sole (Viadana), Alessandro Zanni (Calvisano)

Backs
Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais/FRA), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont Auvergne/FRA), Pablo Canavosio (Viadana), Gonzalo Garcia (Calvisano), Andrea Marcato (Treviso), Andrea Masi (Biarritz/FRA), Luke McLean (Calvisano), Luciano Orquera (Brive/FRA), Riccardo Pavan (Cariparma), Matteo Pratichetti (Calvisano), Kaine Robertson (Viadana), Giulio Toniolatti (Capitolina)

AFP