Italy will be without Andrea Masi for Saturday's Six Nations clash with Wales after the centre was forced to withdraw from the line-up because of a back injury.

Masi will be replaced by Clermont Auvergne's Gonzalo Canale, who comes off a bench to which Matteo Pratichetti has been added.

Azzurri coach Nick Mallett was already without lock Carlo Del Fava and flanker Paul Derbyshire due to injury.

Gloucester forward Marco Bortolami will start instead of Del Fava, with Josh Sole packing down in the back-row after Derbyshire was sidelined.

Italy will finish with the wooden spoon if they lose to Wales and Scotland avoid defeat against Triple Crown-chasing Ireland in Dublin.

Italy (15-1)

Luke McLean; Kaine Robertson, Gonzalo Canale, Gonzalo Garcia, Mirco Bergamasco; Craig Gower, Pablo Canavosio; Alessandro Zanni, Mauro Bergamasco, Josh Sole; Quintin Geldenhuys, Marco Bortolami; Martin Castrogiovanni; Leonardo Ghiraldini (capt), Salvatore Perugini

Replacements: Fabio Ongaro, Matias Aguero, Valerio Bernabo, Manoa Vosawai, Tito Tebaldi, Riccardo Bocchino, Matteo Pratichetti

AFP

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