Bergamasco to play 5th World Cup for Italy

Mauro Bergamasco will play in his fifth World Cup after being named in the final 31-man squad by Italy head coach Jacques Brunel.
Bergamasco, who first played in the 1999 World Cup, will provided vast experience but there was no place for former captain Marco Bortolami.
Talisman Sergio Parisse will captain the Azzurri who start their tournament with a must-win clash against France at Twickenham on September 19.
“I want to thank all the players for their great commitment and attachment to the national team demonstrated in these two months of hard work,” said Brunel.
“I am confident that the same spirit will continue to shine in this last stage of the journey towards the World Cup and will be at the peak during the event.
“Our goal, over the years, has always been to find the right balance for this team. Our ambition is to qualify for the quarter-finals, getting out of the group stage for the first time in the history of Italian rugby, and we have focused our energy and made our decisions based on reaching that goal.”
Italy kick off their World Cup campaign against Pool D opponents France at Twickenham on September 19, before going on to face Canada, Ireland and Romania.
Italy squad:
Forwards: Matias Aguero, Martin Castrogiovanni, Dario Chistolini, Lorenzo Cittadini, Michele Rizzo, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Davide Giazzon, Andrea Manici, Valerio Barnabo, Joshua Furno, Marco Fuser, Quintin Geldenhuys, Mauro Bergamasco, Francesco Minto, Sergio Parisse (Captain), Samuela Vunisa, Alessandro Zanni.
Backs: Carlo Canna, Edoardo Gori, Guglielmo Palazzani, Marcello Violi, Tommaso Allan, Tommaso Benvenuti, Michele Campagnaro, Angelo Esposito, Gonzalo Garcia, Andrea Masi, Luke McLean, Luca Morisi, Leonardo Sarto, Giovanbattista Venditti