Italy coach Nick Mallett has confirmed flanker Mauro Bergamasco will start the team's opening Six Nations match with England at scrumhalf.

First-choice scrumhalf Pablo Cannovosio was forced out of Saturday's match at Twickenham with a knee injury earlier in the week, leaving Mallett with the inexperienced Giulio Toniolatti as the only recognised No.9 in his squad.

It won't be the first time Bergamasco has played in the backs after starting on the wing early in his career.

Nor is it the first time that Mallett has experimented in a bid to cover his team's lack of depth in certain positions. In last year's Six Nations, he moved center Andrea Masi to flyhalf with mixed results.

Alessandro Zanni will replace Bergamasco in the back row, alongside captain and No.8 Sergio Parisse and blindside flanker Josh Sole, while Martin Castrogiovanni will anchor the scrum at tighthead prop.

In the backs, Mauro Bergamasco's brother, Mirco, continues on one wing with Kaine Robertson on the other. Gonzalo Canale and Gonzalo Garcia are the centres, Andrea Marcato is at flyhalf and Masi at fullback.

Italy: Andrea Masi, Kaine Robertson, Gonzalo Canale, Gonzalo Garcia, Mirco Bergamasco, Andrea Marcato, Mauro Bergamasco; Sergio Perugini, Fabio Ongaro, Martin Castrogiovanni, Santiago Dellape, Marco Bortolami, Josh Sole, Alessandro Zanni, Sergio Parisse (captain). Replacements: Carlo Festuccia, Carlos Nieto, Tommaso Reato, Jean-Francois Montauriol, Giulio Toniolatti, Luke McLean, Matteo Pratichetti.

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