July 2 (Reuters) - Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada named two uncappedplayers in his starting side to face Japan in their opening Nations Championship fixture in Tokyo on Saturday.
• Lock Alessandro Ortombina and 20-year-old wing Malik Faissal both make their first international appearances.
• Italy make six changes from the side that lost final Six Nations match with Wales in March.
• Stephen Varney in at scrumhalf in place of Alessandro Fusco.
• Flanker Ross Vintcent named among replacements after missing Six Nations through injury.
• Italy XV: 15–Lorenzo Pani, 14–Malik Faissal, 13–Juan Ignacio Brex, 12–Tommaso Menoncello, 11–Monty Ioane, 10–Paolo Garbisi, 9–Stephen Varney, 8–Lorenzo Cannone, 7–Michele Lamaro, 6–Alessandro Ortombina, 5–Andrea Zambonin, 4–Niccolo Cannone, 3–Marco Riccioni, 2–Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1–Danilo Fischetti
• Replacements: 16–Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17–Mirco Spagnolo, 18–Muhamed Hasa, 19–Riccardo Favretto, 20–Ross Vintcent, 21–Alessandro Fusco, 22–Leonardo Marin, 23–Tommaso Allan
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes in Atlanta, Editing by Kevin Liffey)
