Italy make two changes for France showdown
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada announced two changes to the starting line-up for the meeting with France in Rome in the Six Nations.
Italy beat Wales in the last round, but Lyon wing Monty Ioane has a left knee injury and has been replaced by Zebre’s Simone Gesi, while Toulon hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi returns with Giacomo Nicotera dropping to the bench.
Martin Page-Relo will combine once more with Paolo Garbisi at halfback with the Treviso pair of Tommaso Menoncello, the tournament’s best player last year, and Juan Ignacio Brex in the centres.
Lightning-quick Ange Capuozzo remains on the wing while Tommaso Allan, scorer of 17 points against the Welsh, is in line to win his 84th cap.
Quesada has made four changes to the bench including the return from suspension of Treviso prop Mirco Spagnolo.
“We have a bit more faith in what we want to do, we know how we want to manage games, what our in-game philosophy is and how we’re going to play,” said Quesada on much-improved Italy.
“I hope we’ll see this on the pitch against a team that is better than us, that we know is better than us.”
Italy began the campaign with a 19-31 defeat to Scotland before outclassing Wales 22-15.
It will be the 50th meeting between the two teams with France well ahead on the results record, having won 45 and lost three.
Their most recent encounter in last year’s Six Nations in Lille finished 13-13, the only draw in their shared history.
Italy: 15 Tommaso Allan, 14 Ange Capuozzo, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Martin Page-Relo, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Lamaro (captain), 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolo Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Repacements: 16 Giacomo Nicotera, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Giosue Zilocchi, 19 Riccardo Favretto, 20 Manuel Zuliani, 21 Ross Vintcent, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Jacopo Trulla.
Date: Sunday, February 23
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Kick-off: 16.00 (15.00 GMT)
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Assistant referees: Craig Evans (Wales), Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
