Benetton bring 'test quality' side to face Lions

Italian side Benetton, who are keen to claim as many points as possible in their two-match South African tour, have brought their strongest available team to face the Emirates Lions this weekend in Johannesburg, and the DHL Stormers next weekend in Cape Town.

While they are missing Los Pumas kingpin Tomas Albornoz and Italian national team stalwarts Sebastian Negri and Alessandro Izekor, the team will still be a very strong line-up for the two matches.

Benetton will be able to feature an almost all-test cap line up this weekend including the robust forward brothers Lorenzo and Niccolo Cannone, Simone Ferrari, Thomas Gallo and former Bulls lock Eli Snyman.

At the back points machine Rhyno Smith is there, as well as former All Black and Tonga midfielder Malakai Fekitoa while Italian capped players Leonardo Marin, the impressive midfield pairing of Tommaso Menoncello and Ignacio Brex.

Leading the team is Italian captain Michele Lamaro.

BENETTON TOURING SQUAD:

Forwards: Bautista Bernasconi, Lorenzo Cannone, Niccolò Cannone, Riccardo Favretto, Simone Ferrari, Thomas Gallo, Toa Halafihi, Michele Lamaro, Siua Maile, Marco Manfredi, Ivan Nemer, Tiziano Pasquali, Federico Ruzza, Scott Scrafton, Eli Snyman, Mirco Spagnolo, Giosuè Zilocchi, Manuel Zuliani

Backs: Ignacio Brex, Nicolò Casilio, Malakai Fekitoa, Alessandro Garbisi, Leonardo Marin, Ignacio Mendy, Tommaso Menoncello, Paolo Odogwu, Rhyno Smith, Jacob Umaga, Andy Uren, Federico Zanandrea

Unavailable due to injury: Tomas Albornoz, Matt Gallagher, Edoardo Iachizzi, Alessandro Izekor, Louis Lynagh, Sebastian Negri, Onisi Ratave.