FORMER HURRICANES BACK-ROWER Toa Halafihi will make his Italy debut in this weekend’s Six Nations trip to France.
Halafihi, 28, qualifies for the Azzurri on residency grounds after joining Treviso in 2018.
The number eight, originally from Gisborne on New Zealand’s north island, benefits from injuries to the likes of Jake Polledri and Johan Meyer as well as Sergio Parisse’s potential return later in the tournament.
His club team-mate and winger Tommaso Menoncello is another uncapped player named in Kieran Crowley’s starting lineup for Sunday’s fixture.
Here is the @federugby squad that will challenge @FranceRugby at the Stade de France this Sunday. #FRAvITA #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/FQ204nUwMl
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 4, 2022
Two further Treviso squad members in 21-year-old flanker Manuel Zuliani and teenage fly-half Leonardo Marin are set to win their first caps from the bench.
“The work done in these weeks of preparation, towards the start of the Six Nations, has been intense and of quality,” Crowley said.
“There is a lot of energy in the group and awareness of taking the field in one of the most important tournaments in the world of rugby and sport.”
Earlier on Friday, France head coach Fabien Galthie told AFP he had tested positive for Covid-19 and team manager Raphael Ibanez will take hands on charge of the team for the game in Paris.
Italy (v France)
15. Edoardo Padovani
14. Tommaso Menoncello
13. Juan Ignacio Brex
12. Marco Zanon
11. Monty Ioane
10. Paolo Garbisi
9. Stephen Varney
1. Danilo Fischetti
2. Gianmarco Lucchesi
3. Tiziano Pasquali
4. Niccolo Cannone
5. Federico Ruzza
6. Sebastian Negri
7. Michele Lamaro (captain)
8. Toa Halafihi
Replacements:
16. Epalahame Faiva
17. Ivan Nemer
18. Giosue Zilocchi
19. Marco Fuser
20. Giovanni Pettinelli
21. Manuel Zuliani
22. Callum Braley
23. Leonardo Marin
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
Bernard Jackman, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey discuss Ireland’s 23 to face Wales, look ahead to the Six Nations generally, and give their thoughts on Malakai Fekitoa’s move from Wasps to Munster.
