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Full-back Andrea Masi has been recalled to the Italy squad for their last two Six Nations games at home to Wales and France.

The 27-year-old Biarritz player (pictured) missed the 26-6 defeat in Scotland after being handed a three-week ban for a high tackle on counterpart Rob Kearney in the first minute of their clash with Ireland.

Winless Italy lost that game 38-9 in Rome last month and also went down 36-11 against England at Twickenham in their championship opener.

Centre Gonzalo Garcia is out after taking a knock to the head against the Scots, while prop Ignacio Rouyet has been dropped for the matches on March 14 and 21 after failing to make the bench at Murrayfield.

Coach Nick Mallett has also called up seven members of Italy's A team to a 30-man squad, which will be cut to 24 on Tuesday.

They include lock Tommaso Reato, who started against Ireland and was substitute in the opening-day 36-11 defeat in England, and lock-cum-loose forward Jean-Francois Montauriol, who also came off the bench at Twickenham.

The others are flanker Simone Favaro, prop Fabio Staibano, flyhalf Kristopher Burton, centre Roberto Quartaroli and winger Michele Sepe.

Squad

Backs: Andrea Bacchetti, Mirco Bergamasco, Kristopher Burton, Gonzalo Canale, Pablo Canavosio, Paul Griffen, Andrea Marcato, Andrea Masi, Luke McLean, Gilberto Pavan, Matteo Pratichetti, Roberto Quartaroli, Giulio Rubini, Michele Sepe.

Forwards: Mauro Bergamasco, Marco Bortolami, Martin Castrogiovanni, Carlo Antonio Del Fava, Santiago Dellape, Simone Favaro, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Jean-Francois Montauriol, Carlos Nieto, Sergio Parisse, Salvatore Perugini, Tommaso Reato, Franco Sbaraglini, Josh Sole, Fabio Staibano, Alessandro Zanni.

Reuters