Logan leaguie on Azzurri bench

Wayne Smith | June 12, 2009

Article from: The Australian

KRIS Burton might be forgiven for being a little blase about having Craig Gower join him in the Italian side for tomorrow's first Test in Canberra. After all, he already has played alongside a former Kangaroo great who became a dual rugby international, Lote Tuqiri.

Granted, it was when Burton and Tuqiri were teenagers running around in the Logan rugby league juniors. "Just before Lote signed with the Broncos," recalled Burton, who yesterday was named on the bench for the Canberra Test, one of three Australians in the Azzurri 22.

As expected, Gower was selected for his Test debut in the play-making five-eighth position, setting up a tantalising duel not only with his opposite number, Matt Giteau, but also with the teenager who will be fielding most of his kicks, Wallabies fullback James O'Connor.

The selection of a third Australian, Luke McLean, in the Italian side has thrown up a fascinating piece of trivia: two Queensland fullbacks opposing each other in a Test match -- McLean born in Townsville in 1987, O'Connor on the Gold Coast three years later.

Ironically, the introduction of an Aussie flavour to the Italian side is the most significant change Azzurri coach Nick Mallett has made to the team that pushed the Wallabies so close in Padua last November before losing 30-20, undone by a piece of Quade Cooper magic in the dying moments.

Ten members of the Italian starting XV that day have been retained for the rematch in Canberra, albeit with second-rower Marco Bortloami and centre Gonzalo Garcia dropping from the run-on side to the bench. Conversely, 102kg flanker Alessandro Zanni has made the journey in the opposite direction, being promoted from the reserves to join world-class number eight Sergio Parisse and Mauro Bergamasco in a back-row unit that will pose a serious challenge to their Australian counterparts, Dean Mumm, Richard Brown and George Smith.

While rampaging Springbok backrower Pierre Spies is regarded by those south of the equator as the world's best number eight, Argentine-born Parisse would top the poll in the northern hemisphere. He and Brown locked horns on a number of occasions in Padua, with honours drawn.

Indeed, much the same could be said of the two packs in general and it is hardly surprising Mallett has retained five of his eight starting forwards from that match.
It's ironic that Burton should be selected for this match while his old Logan teammate Tuqiri, scorer of four tries the last time these two teams met on Australian soil, in Melbourne in 2005, will be playing for West Harbour in the Sydney club premiership.

In 2004, Burton took advantage of his Italian ancestry to join the Benevento club and has worked his way up through the ranks, helping his present club Prato do the same, recently earning promotion to the Italian first division and has worked his way up through the ranks, helping his present club Prato do the same, recently earning promotion to the Italian first division.

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