Italy has a new coach for the 2006 Six Nations, former France scrum-half Pierre Berbizier, and is looking to avoid collecting the wooden spoon for the second consecutive year.
Here are profiles of the Azzurri players to watch out for:
Marco Bortolami (Captain). Age: 25. Position: Lock. Height: 196cm. Weight: 110 kilos. Caps: 42. Club: Narbonne.
Bortolami leads Italy into the Six Nations for the second time. One of his challenges will be to tighten up discipline, as the Azzurri tended to revert to foul play too often last year, especially when things were going badly.
His personal form is good, which should enable him to lead by example. He scored two tries in an international for the first time in his career against Tonga in November. He will also have to pull his weight in the line-out to ensure his side gets decent possession - a problem area in the past for Italy.
Ramiro Pez. Age: 27. Position: Fly-half. Height: 178cm. Weight: 86 kilos. Caps: 20. Club: Perpignan.
One of Italy's main problems in recent years has been its failure to find a replacement for the national team's all-time top scorer, Diego Domiguez, at fly-half. Berbizier is giving Pez a second chance to make the Number 10 shirt his own. The previous Azzurri coach, John Kirwan, dumped Pez before the 2003 World Cup and never recalled him to the squad.
In Italy's spring and autumn tours Pez gave the back line the attacking impetus it lacked last season and his place kicking was impressive too. But he also showed some of the defensive lapses that caused Kirwan to drop him. If he improves in defence he can be a match-winner - if not, he'll be a liability.
Martin Castrogiovanni. Age: 24. Position: Prop. Height: 188cm. Weight: 110 kilos. Caps: 29. Club: Ghial Calvisano.
Argentine-born Martin Castrogiovanni is a powerful, streetwise scrummager and a tireless tackler. He is mobile and has good hands too. Like the rest of the Azzurri, he struggled to produce his best rugby in the 2005 Six Nations. Berbizier will need
him back at 100% if his side is to ward off the wooden spoon.
Andrea Lo Cicero. Age: 29. Position: Prop. Height: 185cm. Weight: 117 kilos. Caps: 49. Club: Conad L'Aquila.
The Sicilian prop has been a pillar of the Azzurri pack over the last five years. He is prolific for a front-row player too. He has scored six tries for the Azzurri and even managed to cross the New Zealand All Blacks' line for the Barbarians at Twickenham in December 2004.
Paul Griffen. Age: 30. Position: Scrum-half. Height: 177cm. Weight: 85 kilos. Caps: 19. Club: Ghial Calvisano.
Naturalized New Zealander Paul Griffen has the tough task of replacing Italy's all-time most capped player Alessandro Troncon at scrum-half. He is inventive and has a fine eye for a gap in the opposition's defence. He also seems to have struck up a good understanding with half-back partner Pez.
Mauro Bergamasco. Age: 26. Position: Flanker. Height: 183cm. Weight: 100 kilos. Caps: 44. Club: Stade Francais.
Mauro Bergamasco is a strong, fast flanker whose daring offensive forays make him a joy to watch. Considered by many to be Italy's most talented player.
Gonzalo Canale. Age: 23. Position: Centre/Full back. Height: 180cm. Weight: 96 kilos. Caps: 19. Club: Clermont-Auverge.
Canale is a versatile young back, who can play at centre, wing and full-back. This quality could come in very useful this season, given the number of Azzurri three-quarter players who are unavailable due to injury. Up to now he has mixed outstanding performances with a few nondescript displays, but he has great potential.
Cristian Stoica. Age: 29. Position: Centre. Height: 188cm. Weight: 104 kilos. Caps:64. Club: Montpellier.
Stoica is not the most creative centre in the world. But he is solid, powerful and has a wealth of international experience, which will be invaluable in an outfit whose average age is 24. He is the Azzurri squad member who has scored the most international tries - 11.
Here is the full Italy squad for the Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais); Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais); Marco Bortolami (Narbonne, cap); Gonzalo Canale (Clermont-Auvergne); Pablo Canavosio (Ghial Calvisano); Martin Castrogiovanni (Ghial Calvisano); Carlo Del Fava (Bourgoin); Santiago Dellape' (Agen); Carlo Festuccia (Skg Gran Parma); Paul Griffen (Ghial Calvisano); Andrea Lo Cicero (Conad L'Aquila); Carlos Nieto (Arix Viadana); Ludovico Nitoglia (Ghial Calvisano); Fabio Ongaro (Benetton Treviso); Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais); Salvatore Perugini (Ghial Calvisano); Aaron Persico (Agen); Ramiro Pez (Perpignan); Simon Picone (Benetton Treviso); Matteo Pratichetti (Ghial Calvisano); Josh Sole (Arix Viadana); Cristian Stoica (Montpellier); Rima Wakarua (Skg
Gran Parma); Alessandro Zanni (Ghial Calvisano).
