Geldenhuys to lead changed Azzurri
Italy will host Scotland in a World Cup warm-up game in Turin on Saturday.
With habitual captain Sergio Parisse sidelined with flu-like symptoms, second row forward Geldenhuys has been handed the captain's armband with Fiji-born Samuel Vunisa stepping into Parisse's No.8 position.
Brunel has caused a minor surprise in the centres.
Tommaso Benvenuti was handed his first start in two years to partner Gonzalo Garcia.
Tommaso Allan – a former Scotland Under-21 star – got the flyhalf role and Guglielmo Palazzani was named at scrumhalf to replace suspended Edoardo Gori.
Geldenhuys will be partnered in the second row by Zebre teammate Valerio Bernabo, who will be making his first Azzurri start in nearly two years.
Elsewhere, Brunel will send out an unprecedented first row trio of Lorenzo Cittadini, Matias Aguero and hooker Davide Giazzon, who will make his third start for Italy.
Veterans Martin Castrogiovanni, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Marco Bortolami and Mauro Bergamasco – who have 398 caps between them – all start on the bench, as will versatile fullback Luke McLean.
Italy: 15 Andrea Masi, 14 Leonardo Sarto, 13 Tommaso Benvenuti, 12 Gonzalo Garcia, 11 Giovambattista Venditti, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Guglielmo Palazzani, 8 Samuela Vunisa, 7 Alessandro Zanni, 6 Francesco Minto, 5 Valerio Bernabo, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys (captain), 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 2 Davide Giazzon, 1 Matias Aguero.
Replacements: 16 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Martin Castrogiovanni, 19 Marco Bortolami, 20 Mauro Bergamasco, 21 Marcello Violi, 22 Carlo Canna, 23 Luke McLean.
Date: Saturday, August 22
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Turin
Kick-off: 20.00 (19.00 BST, 18.00 GMT)
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Luke Pearce (England)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
Agence France-Presse
