(ANSA) - Rome, November 11 - In-form 19-year-old Tommaso Benvenuti will make his international debut on the wing in Italy's opening November test in Verona on Saturday against Argentina. Number eight Sergio Parisse, one of several Argentine-born players in the Azzurri squad, is also in the starting XV coach Nick Mallett announced Thursday after the inspirational captain recovered from a neck problem. But flanker Mauro Bergamasco misses out with a shoulder injury he suffered in training. His place on the open side of the back row goes to Benetton Treviso's Robert Barbieri, who returns to action for the Azzurri after over two years. Benvenuti gets the nod after some eye-catching performances at centre with Treviso, having scored five tries this season, four in the Heineken Cup and one in the Magners League. Otherwise the starting lineup has a familiar feel.
Aironi number nine Tito Tebaldi will form a half-back partnership with Australian-born rugby league convert Craig Gower and Bergamasco's winger brother Mirco will have the goal-kicking duties again.
Prop Andrea Lo Cicero will be hoping to come off the bench to end his long exile from international rugby. The 34-year-old, who has 78 caps and played in all of the Azzurri's Six Nations campaigns between 2000 and 2008, has not played for Italy since publicly venting his anger at being left out of a preliminary squad before the 2009 tournament. The Pumas, who surprised the rugby world by coming third at the 2007 World Cup, are without expert playmaker Juan Hernandez for their tour of Europe because of a hamstring injury, so captain Felipe Contepomi will move across from centre to flyhalf this weekend. The match might give some indication of whether Aironi and Treviso's entry into the Magners League this season will bring the hoped-for boost to the national team by raising the level of club rugby Italian players face. Saturday's match will be the 17th meeting between the nations, with Italy winning five, the Pumas 10 and one match ending in a draw. Argentina won the last clash, 22-14 in Turin in November 2008, although the Azzurri had won a match away from home in Cordoba earlier that year. ''We always have hard-fought matches against the Pumas and I think that's why both sides are really fired up for this game,'' said centre Gonzalo Canale, another Argentine-born Azzurri. ''Italian rugby is developing thanks to Aironi and Treviso's participation in the Magners League and I hope this will show on the field Saturday. ''The run-up to this game is maybe a little special for me because I was born in Argentina, but when I'm on the field it'll be a test match like any other and we'll be going out to win''.
Italy: 15 Luke McLean, 14 Tommaso Benvenuti, 13 Gonzalo Canale, 12 Andrea Masi, 11 Mirco Bergamasco, 10 Craig Gower, 9 Tito Tebaldi; 8 Sergio Parisse (captain), 7 Robert Barbieri, 6 Alessandro Zanni, 5 Quintin Geldenhuys, 4 Carlo Antonio Del Fava, Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Salvatore Perugini.
Replacements: 16 Fabio Ongaro, 17 Andrea Lo Cicero, 18 Santiago Dellape, 19 Paul Derbyshire, 20 Pablo Canavosio, 21 Luciano Orquera, 22 Alberto Sgarbi. Argentina: 15-Martin Rodriguez, 14-Gonzalo Camacho, 13-Gonzalo Tiesi, 12-Santiago Fernandez, 11-Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, 10-Felipe Contepomi (captain), 9-Nicolas Vergallo; 8-Juan Fernandez Lobbe, 7-Miguel De Achaval, 6-Genaro Fessia, 5-Mariano Galarza, 4-Manuel Carizza, 3-Martin Scelzo, 2-Mario Ledesma, 1-Rodrigo Roncero.