Italy coach Nick Mallett did not spring any surprises when he announced a 30-man squad on Thursday for his side's Six Nations opener against champions Ireland in Dublin on February 6.

Mallett stuck with the group of players selected for a pre-tournament training camp in Rome this week.

The squad will be trimmed to 24 players on Tuesday and the starting XV for the match will be announced on the Thursday before the match, the Italian Rugby Federation said.

Hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini is standing in as captain because inspirational number eight Sergio Parisse will miss the tournament following knee ligament surgery.

Squad:

Forwards: Matias Aguero (Saracens/ENG), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais/FRA), Marco Bortolami (Gloucester/ENG), Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester/ENG), Lorenzo Cittadini (Benetton Treviso), Carlo Antonio Del Fava (MPS Viadana), Paul Derbyshire (Petrarca Padova), Simone Favaro (Banca Monte Parma), Quintin Geldenhuys (MPS Viadana), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso), Fabio Ongaro (Saracens/ENG), Antonio Ravanello (Benetton Treviso, Salvatore Perugini (Bayonne/FRA), Josh Sole (MPS Viadana), Manoa Vosawai (Banca Monte Parma), Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso).

Backs: Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais/FRA), Riccardo Bocchino (Femi-CZ Rovigo), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont/FRA), Gonzalo Garcia (Benetton Treviso), Craig Gower (Bayonne/FRA), Andrea Marcato (Benetton Treviso), Andrea Masi (Racing-Metro/FRA), Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso), Simon Picone (Benetton Treviso), Matteo Pratichetti (MPS Viadana), Kaine Robertson (MPS Viadana), Michele Sepe (MPS Viadana), Alberto Sgarbi (Benetton Treviso), Tito Tebaldi (Plusvalore Gran Parma).

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