Mallett eyes win in England

Italy coach Nick Mallett believes that if Italy play to their potential they can beat England in their Six Nations opener at Twickenham on Saturday.

''It's 15 against 15 and if we play our very best game we may well get the result,'' Mallett said.

Asked about his decision to move veteran flanker Mauro Bergamasco to scrum half, he said that with three scrum halfs injured, Bergamasco ''probably has the edge'' over the only specialist No.9 left in the squad, the relatively inexperienced Giulio Toniolatti.

''Bergamasco is just as good at passing the ball and his experience is essential against a team like England''.

Bergamasco's ability to bring down opponents won't be affected, Mallett predicted.

''Scrum-halfs, if they're good defenders, put in at least 15 tackles a match these days''.

Looking at the England side, Mallett picked out its ''strong'' front two rows as well as returning fly-half Andy Goode, in for Danny Cipriani, and veteran centre Mike Tindall.

''They're two players who like to kick a lot but always close to the ruck or maul,'' he said.

Bergamasco, who plays his club rugby at Stade Francais, said Mallett had ''already toyed with the idea of switching me to scrum-half'' when he was the French club's coach.

''My debut at No.9 will be a great responsibility but it won't change the way we play at all,'' Bergamasco said.

Mallett is aiming to repeat Italy's best-ever Six Nations campaign in 2007 when they won two matches, against Scotland and Wales, including their first away win, in Edinburgh.

The South African-born coach said recently that beating England would be ''like winning the Tri-Nations''.

He also said he hoped to catch the 2003 world champions and 2007 world runners-up ''off-guard''.

Bergamasco's switch to behind the scrum certainly took most observers by surprise.

The move came after Simon Picone, Pietro Travaglio and Pablo Canavasio were all ruled out by injury.

Bergamasco, who picks up his 70th cap, will partner Padua fly-half Andrea Marcato who has been confirmed after solid displays in the autumn tests against Australia, Argentina and the Pacific Islanders.

All three games ended in defeat but the Azzurri gave the Wallabies a scare.

Most of the backs have also been confirmed with Andrea Masi at full-back, Kaine Robertson and Mirco Bergamasco on the wings, and Gonzalo Garcia at inside centre.

Gonzalo Canale comes back at outside centre after the injury that kept him out of the last two autumn tests.

Also returning from injury that made him miss Italy's three defeats is lock Santiago Dellape' who resumes his second-row partnership with Marco Bortolami.

Italy, who were left smarting after their first ever defeat to the Paficic Islanders, can also count on veteran tight-head prop Martin Castrogiovanni, returning after almost a year out.

The Leicester Tigers player rejoins Saracens hooker Fabio Ongaro and State Toulouse loose-head prop Salvatore Perugini.

Italy's feared pack is completed by a back-row trio of flankers Alessandro Zanni and Josh Sole and No.8 and captain Sergio Parisse of Stade Francais.

Like Italy, England are trying to recover morale after three bruising autumn losses, to southern hemisphere giants Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

Harry Elliss will start at scrum half after Danny Care was ruled out with an ankle injury.

Teams:

(captain)

Replacements:

Coach:

Saturday, February 14 Wales v England, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff (1730)

Sunday, February 15 Italy v Ireland, Stadio Flaminio, Rome (1430)

Saturday, February 28 Scotland v Italy, Murrayfield, Edinburgh (1500) Ireland v England, Croke Park, Dublin (1730)

Saturday, March 14 Italy v Wales, Stadio Flaminio, Rome (1500)

Sunday, March 15 England v France, Twickenham, London (1500)

Saturday, March 21 Italy v France, Stadio Flaminio, Rome (1315) England v Scotland, Twickenham, London (1530)