Gonzalo Quesada announced the XV for Scotland: first match of the Six Nations 2026

Gonzalo Quesada, Technical Commissioner of the Italian Men’s National Team, has made official the lineup that will face Scotland on Saturday, February 7, at 3:10 p.m. at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, a match valid for the first day of the Guinness Six Nations 2026. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Uno, free-to-air on TV8 and streaming on NowTv.. It will be match number 39 between the two teams with the last confrontation at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome smiling on the Azzurri, the first success of the Quesada era with the Men’s National Team.

Aldo Seghedoni

It will be a special match for three athletes who will have the honor of taking the field before the team: Michele Lamaro, Juan Ignacio Brex and Paolo Garbisi will touch 50 caps in the tournament’s debut match.
Unseen extended triangle with Marin in the fullback role and Ioane-Lynagh. The pair of centers formed by Brex and Menoncello returns, while the keys of the halfback will be entrusted to Paolo Garbisi and Alessandro Fusco, who collected his first cap as a starter in the Six Nations precisely against Scotland in 2023 in Edinburgh.

In the third line – along with captain Lamaro – will be Lorenzo Cannone and Zuliani. In the second line Zambonin and Niccolo Cannone, while Ferrari, Nicotera and Fischetti will take the field in the first line.
First call-up to the competition list – in the Guinness Six Nations – for Di Bartolomeo, Hasa and Da Re. Along with the three players in Zebre’s strength, ready to sub from the bench are Spagnolo, Ruzza, Favretto, Alessandro Garbisi and Pani.

Martin Page-Relo will not be available for the match: the scrum-half on loan from Bordeaux has not recovered from his injury and has returned to his home club, while Stephen Varney trained separately during the week to recover from an adductor muscle injury. New Zealand whistle Ben O’Keeffe will conduct the match.

This is the lineup that will take the field:
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15 Leonardo MARIN (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
14 Louis LYNAGH (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Toulon, 49 caps)
12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 34 caps)
11 Monty IOANE (Lyon, 42 caps)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Toulon, 49 caps)
9 Alessandro FUSCO (Zebre Parma, 20 caps)
8 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 33 caps)
7 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 38 caps)
6 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 49 caps) – captain
5 Andrea ZAMBONIN (Exeter Chiefs, 14 caps)
4 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 58 caps)
3 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 69 caps)
2 Giacomo NICOTERA (Stade Français, 36 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (Northampton Saints 58 caps)

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Available
16 Tommaso DI BARTOLOMEO (Zebre Parma, 6 caps)
17 Mirco SPAGNOLO (Benetton Rugby, 19 caps)
18 Muhamed HASA (Zebre Parma 4 caps)
19 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 67 caps)
20 Riccardo FAVRETTO (Benetton Rugby, 8 caps)
21 Alessandro GARBISI (Benetton Rugby, 19 caps)
22 Giacomo DA RE (Zebre Parma, 6 caps)
23 Lorenzo PANI (Zebre Parma, 8 caps)