Both Botes and Burton have been criticised for their inaccurate kicking in the tournament hitherto and after the latter received the nod last time out against Ireland, Brunel has plumped for his Treviso teammate for the Millennium Stadium clash.

It’s one of seven personnel changes to the starting XV made by Brunel, who admitted his side were outclassed in their 42-10 defeat in Dublin with Mirco Bergamasco returning the left wing to win his 86th cap with Luke McLean switching to the right.

In a new-look half-back pairing Treviso Fabio Semenzato comes in scrum-half for club-mate Edoardo Gori while Gonzalo Canale returns at outside centre for Tommaso Benvenuti.

In the pack, Racing Metro veteran prop Andrea Lo Cicero will win his 94th cap in place of Michele Rizzo, who was making just his third international appearance at the Aviva Stadium.

In the second row, Cornelius Van Zyl, who has been in impressive form for Treviso this season, replaces Marco Bortolami while Simone Favaro, who was named man of the match in Aironi’s defeat to European champions Leinster on Friday, comes in at openside for Roberto Barbieri.

ITALY:

15. Andrea Masi (Aironi Rugby)
14. Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso)
13. Gonzalo Canale (Clermont-Auvergne)
12. Alberto Sgarbi (Benetton Treviso)
11. Mirco Bergamasco (Racing-Metro Paris)
10. Kristopher Burton (Benetton Treviso)
9. Fabio Semenzato (Benetton Treviso)
1. Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing-Metro Paris)
2. Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso)
3. Lorenzo Cittadini (Benetton Treviso)
4. Quintin Geldenhuys (Aironi Rugby)
5. Cornelius Van Zyl (Benetton Treviso)
6. Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso)
7. Simone Favaro (Aironi Rugby)
8. Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais)

Replacements:
16 Tommaso D’Apice (Aironi Rugby)
17 Fabio Staibano (Aironi Rugby)
18 Marco Bortolami (Aironi Rugby)
19 Robert Barbieri (Benetton Treviso)
20 Tobias Botes (Benetton Treviso)
21 Tommaso Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso)
22 Giulio Toniolatti (Aironi Rugby)