Italy coach Jacques Brunel has handed the captaincy to the Leicester Tigers prop in his 87th Test match in the absence of Sergio Parisse and Marco Bortolami.
The Azzurri XV includes eight members of the Benetton Treviso squad who have been drawn against Tigers in next season’s Heineken Cup.
Italy (v Canada, Toronto, Friday 7pm local time)
15 Alberto Benettin (Aironi Rugby)
14 Giovambattista Venditti (Aironi Rugby)
13 Andrea Pratichetti (Benetton Treviso)
12 Alberto Sgarbi (Benetton Treviso)
11 Tommaso Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso)
10 Kristopher Burton (Benetton Treviso)
9 Tito Tebaldi (Aironi Rugby)
1 Michele Rizzo (Benetton Treviso)
2 Tommaso D’Apice (Aironi Rugby)
3 Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester Tigers) (c)
4 Joshua Furno (Aironi Rugby)
5 Antonio Pavanello (Benetton Treviso)
6 Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso)
7 Simone Favaro (Aironi Rugby)
8 Robert Barbieri (Benetton Treviso)
Replacements
16 Carlo Festuccia (Banca Monte Parma Crociati)
17 Lorenzo Romano (Aironi Rugby)
18 Marco Fuser (Marchiol Mogliano)
19 Mauro Bergamasco (Aironi Rugby)
20 Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso)
21 Riccardo Bocchino (Estra I Cavalieri Prato)
22 Giulio Toniolatti (Aironi Rugby)
