New Zealand-born flyhalf Kelly Haimona will make his debut for Italy in Saturday's rugby Test against Samoa in Ascoli, national coach Jacques Brunel said on Thursday.
Haimona, who plays at Italian club Zebre, has relegated Luciano Orquera onto the bench and will form a halves partnership with Edoardo Gori.
Brunel kept faith with just five of the players who featured in June's 15-0 defeat to Samoa in Apia -- hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini, locks Quintin Geldenhuys and Josh Furno, winger Luke McLean and fullback Andrea Masi.
Italy team to face Samoa (15-1): Andrea Masi, Luke Mclean, Michele Campagnaro, Luca Morisi, Leonardo Sarto, Kelly Haimona, Edoardo Gori, Sergio Parisse (capt), Simone Favaro, Alessandro Zanni, Joshua Furno, Quintin Geldenhuys, Dario Chistolini, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Matias Aguero
Replacements: Andrea Manici, Alberto De Marchi, Lorenzo Cittadini, Marco Bortolami, Robert Barbieri, Guglielmo Palazzani, Luciano Orquera, Giulio Toniolatti
