Italy tweak victorious XV with two changes for France visit

Italy have made two changes from the XV that were victorious over Wales in round two of the Guinness Six Nations for the visit from France on Sunday to Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.

Head coach Gonzalo Quesada has been forced into one change, with winger Simone Gesi, who featured from the bench against Scotland, replacing the injured Monty Ioane on the wing.

The second change is a swap between hookers Gianmarco Lucchesi and Giacomo Nicotera, with the former starting on this occasion having previously been on the bench.

The previously banned Mirco Spagnolo has returned to take his place as the replacement loosehead, with tighthead Giosuè Zilocchi and lock Riccardo Favretto being the other two changes among the substitutes.

Fixture

Six Nations

Italy

24 - 73

Full-time

France

All Stats and Data

The two sides head into the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy contest with one win and one loss to their names. The hosts will be looking to back up their 22-15 win over Wales, while Les Bleus will be looking to bounce back from a 26-25 loss to England at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.

The match will also been a significant occasion for lock Niccolò Cannone and loosehead Danilo Fischetti, who will both be earning their 50th caps.

Italy XV
15 Tommaso Allan (USA Perpignan, 83 caps)
14 Ange Capuozzo (Stade Toulousain, 25 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio Brex (Benetton Rugby, 43 caps)
12 Tommaso Menoncello (Benetton Rugby, 25 caps)
11 Simone Gesi (Zebre Parma, 2 caps)
10 Paolo Garbisi (Toulon RC, 44 caps)
9 Martin Page-Relo (Lyon Olympique, 15 caps)
8 Lorenzo Cannone (Benetton Rugby, 25 caps)
7 Michele Lamaro (Benetton Rugby, 45 caps) – captain
6 Sebastian Negri (Benetton Rugby, 60 caps)
5 Federico Ruzza (Benetton Rugby, 61 caps)
4 Niccolò Cannone (Benetton Rugby, 49 caps)
3 Simone Ferrari (Benetton Rugby, 61 caps)
2 Gianmarco Lucchesi (Toulon RC, 30 caps)
1 Danilo Fischetti (Zebre Parma, 49 caps)

Replacements
16 Giacomo Nicotera (Stade Francais, 30 caps)
17 Mirco Spagnolo (Benetton Rugby, 11 caps)
18 Giosuè Zilocchi (Benetton Rugby, 22 caps)
19 Riccardo Favretto (Benetton Rugby, 4 caps)
20 Manuel Zuliani (Benetton Rugby, 29 caps)
21 Ross Vintcent (Exeter Chiefs, 11 caps)
22 Alessandro Garbisi (Benetton Rugby, 15 caps)
23 Jacopo Trulla (Zebre Parma, 13 caps)