Italrugby, the XV for France
Italrugby, the XV for France
Italrugby coach Gonzalo Quesada has announced the XV that will face France on Sunday, February 23, at 4 p.m. at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, in the match valid for the third day of the Six Nations 2025 that will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Uno and free-to-air on Rai 2.
The two teams will face each other for the 50th time in the match that will put the Garibaldi Trophy up for grabs. The’last precedent in chronological order, in February 2024, è the’only tie in the match played in Lille with Paolo Garbisi’s last minute spot kick finished on the post that confirmed the 13-13 result.
The number 50 also returns in the caps of Danilo Fischetti and Niccolò Cannone: both players have shared much of the path of the youth national teams in addition to almost all the matches played together with Italy.
In the extended triangle – along with Tommaso Allan and Ange Capuozzo – Simone Gesi earns his second cap from the first minute, third in total with the Major National Team and in the Six Nations. Consolidated the pair of centers formed by Brex and Menoncello, as well as the halfback formed by Paolo Garbisi and Page-Relo, who for the fourth consecutive time – including the Test Match against New Zealand in November – are deployed in the starting XV in the box.
Almost total confirmation for the scrum pack with Lorenzo Cannone and Negri along with captain Lamaro in the third line, while Ruzza and Niccolò Cannone will be in the second. The’only change in the front line compared to the match against Wales è the insertion of Gianmarco Lucchesi from the first minute along with Ferrari and Fischetti.
Ready to take over from the bench Nicotera, Spagnolo – returned from disqualification – Zilocchi, for the first time on the competition list – as Favretto – in the 2025 edition of the tournament, Zuliani, Vintcent, Alessandro Garbisi and Trulla.
The match will be directed by Englishman Karl Dickson.
The XV of the Azzurri:
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)
Available
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)
