ROME - Italy coach Nick Mallett today called up 29 players to his squad for three upcoming Test matches against Australia, Argentina and the Pacific Islands.

Gloucester's Marco Bortolami, the country's youngest captain, is absent due to club commitments. Australian Luke McLean, who played for the Perth Spirit in the Australian Rugby Championships in 2007, has been selected after making his debut for the Azzuri against South Africa in June.

Italy will kick off the Test series against Australia on November 8, playing Argentina a week later, then ending the tour against the Pacific Islands on November 22.

Forwards:
Robert Barbieri (Treviso), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais/FRA), Salvatore Costanzo (Treviso), Carlo Antonio Del Fava (Ulster/NIR), Santiago Dellape (Toulon/FRA), Paul Derbyshire (Padua), Jaco Erasmus (Viadana), Carlo Festuccia (Racing Metro/FRA), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Calvisano), Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro/FRA), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais/FRA), Salvatore Perugini (Toulouse/FRA), Tommaso Reato (Rovigo), Michele Rizzo (Padua), Alessandro Zanni (Calvisano)

Backs:
Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais/FRA), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont/FRA), Pablo Canavosio (Viadana), Gonzalo Garcia (Calvisano), Andrea Marcato (Treviso), Andrea Masi (Biarritz/FRA), Luke McLean (Calvisano), Luciano Orquera (Brive/FRA), Riccardo Pavan (Parma), Simon Picone (Treviso), Matteo Pratichetti (Calvisano), Kaine Robertson (Viadana), Michele Sepe (Capitolina Rome), Giulio Toniolatti (Capitolina Rome)

AFP