Italy name 10 uncapped players in Six Nations squad

(Reuters) - Italy look set to blood a host of new faces in the Six Nations championship after naming 10 uncapped players in their 30-man squad on Wednesday for the first two games of the tournament. Coach Jacques Brunel has called up South African-born back row forwards Abraham Steyn and Andries van Schalkwyk, who play their club rugby in Italy. The other newcomers are props Andrea Lovotti and Matteo Zanusso, hooker Ornel Gega, flanker Jacopo Sarto, flyhalf Edoardo Padovani, centre Tommaso Castello, winger Mattia Bellini and full back David Odiete. Italy are still without centres Luca Morisi and Andrea Masi. Morisi is recovering from a knee ligament injury that ruled him out of last year's World Cup while Masi suffered an Achilles injury in their opening loss to France in September. Captain Sergio Parisse, who suffered an injury-ravaged tournament as Italy failed to reach the knockout phase and finished third in Pool D behind Ireland and France, is included along with flyhalf Kelly Haimona. New Zealand-born Haimona broke his arm during Italy's final Six Nations game last year. Italy, who finished fifth in the Six Nations last year, ahead of Scotland, open their campaign in Paris against France on Feb. 6 before hosting England the following weekend. Italy: Forwards: Martin Castrogiovanni (Racing 92/FRA), Dario Chistolini (Zebre), Lorenzo Cittadini (Wasps/ENG), Andrea Lovotti (Zebre), Matteo Zanusso (Treviso), Ornel Gega (Treviso), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Leicester/ENG), Valerio Bernabo (Zebre), George Fabio Biagi (Zebre), Marco Fuser (Treviso), Francesco Minto (Treviso), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais/FRA), Jacopo Sarto (Zebre), Abraham Steyn (Treviso), Andries Van Schalkwyk (Zebre), Alessandro Zanni (Treviso) Backs: Edoardo Gori (Treviso), Guglielmo Palazzani (Zebre), Carlo Canna (Zebre), Edoardo Padovani (Zebre), Mattia Bellini (Petrarca Padova), Giulio Bisegni (Zebre), Michele Campagnaro (Exeter/ENG), Tommaso Castello (Calvisano), Gonzalo Garcia (Zebre), Kelly Haimona (Zebre), Luke McLean (Treviso), David Odiete (Marchiol Mogliano), Andrea Pratichetti (Treviso), Leonardo Sarto (Zebre) (Reporting by Justin Palmer, editing by Alan Baldwin)