Benetton Rugby Team for Aironi game

The first of the two Italian derbies will be directed by referee Carlo Damasco from the Italian Federation and will be broadcasted live by RaiSport 2 (channel 58 of the DTTV, channel 228 of Sky).

The return match will be played at the Stadio Monigo in Treviso on December 31th at 3pm. Tickets for the match are already on sale at the Centro Sportivo "La Ghirada" and at all Ticketone sale points.

In the back line, only two players are unchanged, but with a positional change: Tommaso Benvenuti, who will start on the right wing alongside Ludovico Nitoglia who is back as fullback.

The change allows Willem De Waal will to play at fly-half, with Fabio Semenzato at scrum-half.

Ezio Galon and Andrea Pratichetti form a new pairing at the centre. The latter is likely to face off against his brother Matteo.

This is the first time this year they will play as the former Rovigo and Calvisano player injured himself before the first game of the season.

After a game off in the European Cup, Brendan "Dingo" Williams is back on the left wing.

Corniel Van Zyl and captain Antonio Pavanello are the only two players unchanged in the pack.

In the back row: Marco Filippucci, Benjamin Vermaak and Manoa Vosawa start. In the front row: Matteo Muccignat and Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet are playing as props, while Diego Vidal is the hooker.

Starting line-up:
15 Ludovico Nitoglia
14 Tommaso Benvenuti
13 Ezio Galon
12 Andrea Pratichetti
11 Brendan Williams
10 Willem De Waal
9 Fabio Semenzato
8 Marco Filippucci
7 Benjamin Vermaak
6 Manoa Vosawai
5 Corniel Van Zyl
4 Antonio Pavanello (captain)
3 Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet
2 Diego Vidal
1 Matteo Muccignat

On the bench:
16 Enrico Ceccato
17 Lorenzo Cittadini
18 Michele Rizzo
19 Valerio Bernabò
20 Gonzalo Padrò
21 Simon Picone
22 Edoardo Gori
23 Alberto Di Bernardo

Head Coach: Franco Smith.