RUGBY/Six Nations News round-up: Cristian Stoica, a regular opponent of Ireland since making his debut as a 20-year-old in Italy's 37-29 win at Lansdowne Road in 1997, will return to the ground tomorrow for his 65th cap as a reconverted fullback.
Coach Pierre Berbizier has also remodelled his frontrow after some scrummaging difficulties against Argentina last autumn, although veteran prop Andrea Lo Cicero has been left on the bench.
In light of an injury crisis amongst his backs, Berbizier is obliged to assemble a slightly makeshift looking back line.
Andrea Masi, the 24-times capped Viadana centre, has been a regular in recent years until this season but has been plagued by a knee injury which has perplexed the Azzurri's medical staff and he had to have surgery last week. At best, he will be back for their final game on March 18th.
Gert Peens, the South-African-born fullback, and the naturalised Kiwi winger Kaine Robertson, have also been ruled out, as have Denis and Manuel Dallan, along with Ezio Galan, who deputised for Peens at fullback last autumn.
Hence, in addition to Stoica's recall in a less familiar fullback role, the 25-year-old Argentinian Pablo Canavosio, plucked by Berbizier from the Italian sevens for last summer's tour to Australia and Argentina, and who normally shares the scrumhalf duties with Azzurri number nine Paul Griffen at Calvisano, has been chosen on the right wing.
Stoica has played in all but two of the last 10 meetings between Ireland and Italy, and featured at fullback in the 2001 meeting in Rome.
Props Martin Leandro Castrogiovanni and Matias Aguero have made way for Salvatore Perugini and Carlos Nieto, with the 49-times capped Lo Cicero, now at L'Aquila, returning to the bench.
Santiago Dellape and New Zealand-born Josh Sole are recalled to the secondrow and backrow in what is generally considered a full-strength pack.
The side will again be captained by Narbonne lock Marco Bortolami, and features the Stade Français trio of Sergio Parisse at number eight, and the Bergamasco brothers Mauro, at openside, and Mirko, who will again partner Gonzalo Canale in midfield. In a five-two split on the bench, Berbizier has picked a replacement frontrow. Seven of the team are home-based, and amongst those based abroad is the reborn outhalf Ramiro Pez.
The Argentinian-born standoff was Diego Dominguez's choice as his successor but never convinced and lost his way after spells with Rotherham, Leicester, Bath and Castres before pitching up at Perpignan. Even there he is effectively third-choice behind Nicolas Laharrague and Manny Edmonds.
Pez, at 27, was very much a forgotten man of Italian rugby when on holidays with his family in Cordoba last June, at the same time as the Azzurri were embarking on a two-Test tour in Argentina when Berbizier's initial choice at scrum-half Andrea Scanavacca was injured. At the suggestion of team manager Carlo Checchinato, they contacted Pez, and he went so well in training he was pitched into the first Test in Salta.
Despite a 35-21 defeat, Pez played well and retained his place, guiding Italy to a famous 30-29 win in Cordoba a week later with a 20-point haul, including a try, as well as providing the try-scoring passes for Canale and Parisse. Pez retained his 90 per cent-plus goal-kicking ratio and form in the autumn.
Meanwhile, centre Yannick Jauzion and flanker Remy Martin are doubtful for France's Six Nations opener against Scotland on Sunday through injury and illness respectively. Team manager Jo Maso told reporters Jauzion had a scan yesterday after suffering a bone injury in the little toe of his right foot while Martin was suffering from a fever.
"Professor Didier Fontes, a specialist in traumatology, said he saw no reason why Yannick shouldn't play on Sunday but stated the final decision should only be taken on Friday after a physical test and an X-ray," he said. "The case of Martin is less serious. He has a fever but he is under treatment and was feeling better today and we hope he will resume training tomorrow."
