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Italy name team to face France
By Online Editors
Franco Smith has made just one change to his Italian starting side to face France away on Sunday.
The new Azzurri boss opted not to make wholesale changes following last weekend 42-0 beating at Wales.
His only switch comes at full-back where Jayden Hayward has been promoted from the bench, an inclusion that has resulted in a back three rejig.
Matteo Minozzi, last weekend’s starting full-back, switches to the left wing where the No11 versus Wales, Mattia Bellini, now switches across to No14 with Leonardo Sarto losing his spot and dropping out of the matchday 23.
Giulio Bisegni takes Hayward’s place on the bench while Federico Ruzza steps in for Marco Lazzaroni.
(Continue reading below...)
Freddie Burns discusses the selection issues that England have faced this week
Alessandro Zanni’s selection in the second row will be his 119th Test level appearance, drawing him level with Italy’s second most capped player, Martin Castrogiovanni, in the all-time Italian classification.
"The debut against Wales served as a lesson,” said Smith after unveiling his XV following a full week’s preparation in Paris.
“Let’s look forward now to the work done this week. We are trying to improve our mechanisms and trying to show the best version of ourselves. It will be a tough game on Sunday that we will play with greater awareness.”
ITALY (vs France, Sunday)
15. Jayden HAYWARD (Benetton Rugby, 24 caps)
14. Mattia BELLINI (Zebre Rugby Club, 23 caps)
13. Luca MORISI (Benetton Rugby, 30 caps)*
12. Carlo CANNA (Zebre Rugby Club, 40 caps)
11. Matteo MINOZZI (Wasps Rugby, 17 caps)*
10. Tommaso ALLAN (Benetton Rugby, 55 caps)
9. Callum BRALEY (Gloucester Rugby, 6 caps)
8. Abraham STEYN (Benetton Rugby, 37 caps)
7. Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 23 caps)
6. Jake POLLEDRI (Gloucester Rugby, 14 caps)
5. Niccolò CANNONE (Argos Petrarca Rugby/Benetton Rugby,1 cap)*
4. Alessandro ZANNI (Benetton Rugby, 118 caps)
3. Giosuè ZILOCCHI (Zebre Rugby Club, 3 caps)*
2. Luca BIGI (Zebre Rugby Club, 25 caps) - captain
1. Andrea LOVOTTI (Zebre Rugby Club, 41 caps)*
Replacements
16. Federico ZANI (Benetton Rugby 14 caps)
17. Danilo FISCHETTI (Zebre Rugby Club, 1 cap)*
18. Marco RICCIONI (Benetton Rugby, 8 caps)*
19. Dean BUDD (Benetton Rugby, 27 caps)
20. Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 18 caps)*
21. Giovanni LICATA (Zebre Rugby Club, 9 caps)*
22. Guglielmo PALAZZANI (Zebre Rugby Club, 37 caps)
23. Giulio BISEGNI (Zebre Rugby Club, 14 caps)
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Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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