Azzurri start Griffen for Ireland Clash

Following Italy's comprehensive defeat to England last week at Twickenham and the experiment with Bergamasco at number 9, Head Coach Nick Mallett dramatically called Paul Griffen into the national squad on Monday when Andrea Marcato returned to Treviso.

The 37 test capped New Zealand native will partner Calvisano teammate Luke McLean at 10 and joins three other club mates when the Azzurri clash with Ireland in Rome.

Griffen, who has 38 Heineken Cup appearances under his belt, hasn't played on the international stage since the Rugby World Cup in 2007.

Italy team:

15 Andrea MASI (Biarritz Olympique, 45 caps), 14 Kaine ROBERTSON (MPS Viadana, 36 caps), 13 Gonzalo CANALE (Clermont-Auvergne, 43 caps), 12 Mirco BERGAMASCO (Stade Francais, 57 caps), 11 Matteo PRATICHETTI (Cammi Calvisano, 13 caps),10 Luke MCLEAN (Cammi Calvisano, 4 caps), 9 Paul GRIFFEN (Cammi Calvisano, 38 caps), 8 Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais, 58 caps) - captain, 7 Mauro BERGAMASCO (Stade Francais, 70 caps), 6 Alessandro ZANNI (Cammi Calvisano, 27 caps), 5 Tommaso REATO (Femi CZ Rovigo, 7 caps), 4 Santiago DELLAPE' (Toulon RC, 53 caps), 3 Martin CASTROGIOVANNI (Leicester Tigers, 55 caps), 2 Fabio ONGARO (Saracens, 60 caps),1 Salvatore PERUGINI (Stade Toulousain, 56 caps)

Replacements:
16 Carlo FESTUCCIA (Racing Metro Paris, 46 caps) ,17 Carlos NIETO (Gloucester RFC, 32 caps), 18 Carlo Antonio DEL FAVA (Ulster, 33 caps), 19 Josh SOLE (MPS Viadana, 34 caps), 20 Giulio TONIOLATTI (AlmavivA UR Capitolina, 2 caps)
21 Gonzalo GARCIA (Cammi Calvisano, 6 caps),22 Andrea BACCHETTI (Femi CZ Rovigo, esordiente)

Ireland Team

15 - Robert Kearney (UCD - Leinster), 14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), 13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD - Leinster) Captain, 12 - Paddy Wallace (Ballymena - Ulster), 11 - Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College - Leinster), 10 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution - Munster), 9 - Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin - Munster) , 1 - Marcus Horan (Shannon - Munster), 2 - Jerry Flannery (Shannon - Munster), 3 - John Hayes (Bruff- Munster), 4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution - Munster)
5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster - Munster), 6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon - Ulster), 7 - David Wallace (Garryowen - Munster) , 8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas - Leinster)

Replacements: 16 - Rory Best (Banbridge - Ulster), 17 - Tom Court (Malone - Ulster)*, 18 - Malcolm O'Kelly (St.Mary's College - Leinster), 19 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution - Munster), 20 - Peter Stringer (Shannon - Munster), 21 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne - Leinster) , 22 - Geordan Murphy (Leicester).