Italy's Bergamasco to tie RWC record

Sep 24, 2015 - 2:35 PM Italy flanker Mauro Bergamasco will become the second player to feature in five Rugby World Cups if he comes off the bench against Canada on Saturday.

The 36-year-old Bergamasco, who first played in the tournament in 1999, would tie the record of Samoa winger Brian Lima at Elland Road in the in Pool D clash.

The Italians made four changes Thursday from the 32-10 loss to France on Sunday, two in both midfield and the front row.

Gonzalo Garcia and Tommaso Benvenuti replaced Andrea Masi, who sustained a tournament-ending Achilles injury against France, and the benched Michele Campagnaro at centre. Props Matias Aguero and Martin Castrogiovanni dropped out out for Michele Rizzo and Lorenzo Cittadini.

Captain Tyler Ardron is back from a knee injury for Canada in one of six changes from the team which began the 50-7 loss to Ireland on Saturday.

It is Canada's oldest starting lineup at a Rugby World Cup, even though the players' combined total of 412 caps is fewer than Italy's.

"I was pretty much ready to go against Ireland," Ardron said, "but now having this extra week ... I've trained at 100 per cent for a few weeks now."

Brothers Phil and Jamie Mackenzie will start for Canada in the same team for the first time at a World Cup.

Italy has won its last four tests against Canada, with the streak starting with a 19-14 victory in Canberra at the World Cup in 2003.

Italy: Luke McLean, Leonardo Sarto, Tommaso Benvenuti, Gonzalo Garcia, Giovanbattista Venditti, Tommaso Allan, Edoardo Gori; Samuela Vunisa, Francesco Minto, Alessandro Zanni, Josh Furno, Quintin Geldenhuys, Lorenzo Cittadini, Leonardo Ghiraldini (capt), Michele Rizzo. Reserves: Davide Giazzon, Matias Aguero, Martin Castrogiovanni, Marco Fuser, Mauro Bergamasco, Guglielmo Palazzani, Carlo Canna, Michele Campagnaro

Canada: Matt Evans, Phil Mackenzie, Ciaran Hearn, Connor Braid, DTH Van Der Merwe, Nathan Hirayama, Jamie Mackenzie; Tyler Ardron (capt), John Moonlight, Nanyak Dala, Jamie Cudmore, Jebb Sinclair, Doug Sinclair, Ray Barkwill, Hubert Buydens. Reserves: Aaron Carpenter, Djustice Sears-Duru, Andrew Tiedemann, Evan Olmstead, Kyle Gilmour, Phil Mack, Conor Trainor, Harry Jones.

Source: AAP