GONZALO QUESADA ON Thursday announced seven changes to his Italy team to host Ireland in the final round of Six Nations matches this weekend.
Tommaso Allan returns at full-back after being dropped for last weekend’s 47-24 defeat by England at Twickenham, with Ange Capuozzo being moved back to wing for Saturday’s game.
Martin Page-Relo starts at scrum-half in place of Stephen Varney while centre Juan Ignacio Brex takes the captain’s armband for the first time in the Six Nations with usual skipper in flanker Michele Lamaro on the bench.
Italy are hoping to avoid the wooden spoon and sit fifth in the table on four points, but are only one point ahead of Wales who take on England in Cardiff.
Champions Ireland, who are still in with a chance of retaining the Six Nations, have not lost to Italy since 2013.
Italy
15. Tommaso Allan
14. Ange Capuozzo
13. Juan Ignacio Brex (captain)
12. Tommaso Menoncello
11. Monty Ioane
10. Paolo Garbisi
9. Martin Page-Relo
1. Danilo Fischetti
2. Gianmarco Lucchesi
3. Simone Ferrari
4. Dino Lamb
5. Federico Ruzza
6. Sebastian Negri
7. Manuel Zuliani
8. Lorenzo Cannone
Wales player Joe Roberts. Mike Jones / INPHO
Mike Jones / INPHO / INPHO
Elsewhere, Scarlets centre Joe Roberts will make his first professional start on the wing when Wales bid to end their lengthy losing streak in a Six Nations finale against title contenders England.
Roberts will be out wide in Saturday’s match in Cardiff after Tom Rogers suffered a fractured thumb during the early stages of Wales’ 35-29 defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield last weekend.
With both Rogers, fellow wing Josh Adams and back three-star Liam Williams all injured, interim Wales head coach Matt Sherratt opted not to call anyone else into his squad for the England game.
Sherratt has made one other change to the team that kicked-off against Scotland, with Aaron Wainwright selected at blindside flanker.
Wainwright’s inclusion means Wales captain Jac Morgan switches to his more familiar openside role and Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell drops to the replacements’ bench.
Roberts impressed on the wing after coming on for Rogers in Edinburgh to win his fourth cap.
Wales go into Saturday’s match bidding to avoid a 17th successive Test defeat and 11th Six Nations loss on the bounce.
England, by contrast, will arrive at the Principality Stadium as outside title contenders, although a win for France against Scotland will likely secure the trophy for Les Bleus.
Saturday’s match will also mark the end of Cardiff boss Sherratt’s three-game stint as caretaker Wales boss after the Englishman was parachuted in mid-tournament after a dire 22-15 defeat by Italy in Rome last month marked the end of Warren Gatland’s unsuccessful second spell in charge.
Wales are on the worst international losing streak in their history, having not won a Test since defeating Georgia at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
And yet such is the Six Nations’ points system that a lone bonus point in defeat by England could see Wales avoid a second straight bottom-of-the-table finish even they lost to Italy, with the Azzurri at home to Ireland on Saturday.
Wales were much improved in Sherratt’s first game in charge, giving Ireland a genuine fright before going down 27-18 to the double defending champions.
And they also demonstrated plenty of resilience and no little attacking skill in claiming two bonus points in Edinburgh after Scotland had surged into a 35-8 lead.
England know a five-point win in Cardiff would pile the pressure on leaders France, who would then need to beat Scotland in Paris to take the title.
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Wales
15. Blair Murray
14. Ellis Mee
13. Max Llewellyn
12. Ben Thomas
11. Joe Roberts
10. Gareth Anscombe
9. Tomos Williams
1. Nicky Smith
2. Elliot Dee
3. Willgriff John
4. Will Rowland
5. Dafydd Jenkins
6. Aaron Wainwright
7. Jac Morgan (captain)
8. Taulupe Faletau
Replacements:
16. Dewi Lake
17. Gareth Thomas
18. Keiron Assiratti
19. Teddy Williams
20/ Tommy Reffell
21. Rhodri Williams
22. Jarrod Evans
23. Nick Tompkins
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Italy ring the changes for Six Nations finale with Ireland
GONZALO QUESADA ON Thursday announced seven changes to his Italy team to host Ireland in the final round of Six Nations matches this weekend.
Tommaso Allan returns at full-back after being dropped for last weekend’s 47-24 defeat by England at Twickenham, with Ange Capuozzo being moved back to wing for Saturday’s game.
Martin Page-Relo starts at scrum-half in place of Stephen Varney while centre Juan Ignacio Brex takes the captain’s armband for the first time in the Six Nations with usual skipper in flanker Michele Lamaro on the bench.
Italy are hoping to avoid the wooden spoon and sit fifth in the table on four points, but are only one point ahead of Wales who take on England in Cardiff.
Champions Ireland, who are still in with a chance of retaining the Six Nations, have not lost to Italy since 2013.
Italy
15. Tommaso Allan
14. Ange Capuozzo
13. Juan Ignacio Brex (captain)
12. Tommaso Menoncello
11. Monty Ioane
10. Paolo Garbisi
9. Martin Page-Relo
1. Danilo Fischetti
2. Gianmarco Lucchesi
3. Simone Ferrari
4. Dino Lamb
5. Federico Ruzza
6. Sebastian Negri
7. Manuel Zuliani
8. Lorenzo Cannone
Replacements:
16. Giacomo Nicotera
17. Mirco Spagnolo
18. Giosue Zilocchi
19. Niccolo Cannone
20. Michele Lamaro
21. Ross Vintcent
22. Stephen Varney
23. Leonardo Marin
*****
Elsewhere, Scarlets centre Joe Roberts will make his first professional start on the wing when Wales bid to end their lengthy losing streak in a Six Nations finale against title contenders England.
Roberts will be out wide in Saturday’s match in Cardiff after Tom Rogers suffered a fractured thumb during the early stages of Wales’ 35-29 defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield last weekend.
With both Rogers, fellow wing Josh Adams and back three-star Liam Williams all injured, interim Wales head coach Matt Sherratt opted not to call anyone else into his squad for the England game.
Sherratt has made one other change to the team that kicked-off against Scotland, with Aaron Wainwright selected at blindside flanker.
Wainwright’s inclusion means Wales captain Jac Morgan switches to his more familiar openside role and Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell drops to the replacements’ bench.
Roberts impressed on the wing after coming on for Rogers in Edinburgh to win his fourth cap.
Wales go into Saturday’s match bidding to avoid a 17th successive Test defeat and 11th Six Nations loss on the bounce.
England, by contrast, will arrive at the Principality Stadium as outside title contenders, although a win for France against Scotland will likely secure the trophy for Les Bleus.
Saturday’s match will also mark the end of Cardiff boss Sherratt’s three-game stint as caretaker Wales boss after the Englishman was parachuted in mid-tournament after a dire 22-15 defeat by Italy in Rome last month marked the end of Warren Gatland’s unsuccessful second spell in charge.
Wales are on the worst international losing streak in their history, having not won a Test since defeating Georgia at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
And yet such is the Six Nations’ points system that a lone bonus point in defeat by England could see Wales avoid a second straight bottom-of-the-table finish even they lost to Italy, with the Azzurri at home to Ireland on Saturday.
Wales were much improved in Sherratt’s first game in charge, giving Ireland a genuine fright before going down 27-18 to the double defending champions.
And they also demonstrated plenty of resilience and no little attacking skill in claiming two bonus points in Edinburgh after Scotland had surged into a 35-8 lead.
England know a five-point win in Cardiff would pile the pressure on leaders France, who would then need to beat Scotland in Paris to take the title.
Wales
15. Blair Murray
14. Ellis Mee
13. Max Llewellyn
12. Ben Thomas
11. Joe Roberts
10. Gareth Anscombe
9. Tomos Williams
1. Nicky Smith
2. Elliot Dee
3. Willgriff John
4. Will Rowland
5. Dafydd Jenkins
6. Aaron Wainwright
7. Jac Morgan (captain)
8. Taulupe Faletau
Replacements:
16. Dewi Lake
17. Gareth Thomas
18. Keiron Assiratti
19. Teddy Williams
20/ Tommy Reffell
21. Rhodri Williams
22. Jarrod Evans
23. Nick Tompkins
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
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