Last season’s Six Nations breakthrough star Fabio Semenzato will get his first start in this season’s competition in place of the injured Edorado Gori against Wales at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

The scrum-half is one of seven changes to the Italy team for the trip to the competition favourites as French coach Jacques Brunel ripped apart the formation thumped 42-10 by Ireland.

Australian-born Kris Burton takes over from Tobias Botes at fly-half following the South Africa-born half-back’s erratic performance with the boot against Ireland.

Racing Metro winger Mirco Bergamasco and centre Gonzalo Canale of Clermont both return to the three-quarter positions to bring more experience to the team.

In the forwards lock Cornelius van Zyl, another South African, Racing Metro prop Andrea Lo Cicero and flanker Simone Favaro all come in.

Italy: Andrea Masi (Aironi); Luke McLean (Treviso), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont/FRA), Alberto Sgarbi (Treviso), Mirco Bergamasco (Racing Metro/FRA); Kris Burton (Treviso), Fabio Semenzato (Treviso); Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais/FRA, capt), Simone Favaro (Aironi), Alessandro Zanni (Treviso); Cornelius van Zyl (Treviso), Quintin Geldenhuys (Aironi); Lorenzo Cittadini (Treviso), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Treviso), Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro/FRA)

Replacements: Tommaso D’Apice (Aironi), Fabio Staibano (Aironi), Marco Bortolami (Aironi), Robert Barbieri (Treviso), Tobias Botes (Treviso), Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso), Giulio Toniolatti (Aironi)