Italrugby, the blue XV for the challenge to France
Italrugby, training
Gonzalo Quesada, Technical Commissioner of the Italian Men’s National Rugby Team, has made official the lineup that will face France on Sunday, February 25 at 4 p.m. at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille in the match valid for the third day of the Guinness Six Nations 2024 that will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Uno and free-to-air on TV8.
It willà be the 50th confrontation between the two teams, the first in Lille in the match – directed by’English Christophe Ridley – which will putà the Garibaldi Trophy up for grabs.
Wide triangle formed by Capuozzo, Menoncello and Ioane with the center pair formed by Brex and Federico Mori returning to the starting XV almost two years later. Midfield keys entrusted to Garbisi and Page-Relo, in their first cap as starters in the Six Nations.
In the third line along with captain Lamaro will take the field for the first time from the first minute Vintcent and Favretto: the Azzurri third line in force at Exeter will wear the number 8 jersey, while the player in force at Benetton returns to play with Italy after his only appearance in the 2021 Six Nations in Scotland under Franco Smith.
Confirmed in the second line are Ruzza and Niccolò Cannone, while Zilocchi, Nicotera and Fischetti will take the field in the first line.
Ready to take over from the bench – along with rookie Canali – Lucchesi, Spagnolo, Ferrari – the latter returning after injury – Zambonin, Zuliani, Varney and Marin who returns to the competition list with the Major National team jersey after his last appearance in the 2022 summer tour.
This is the team that will take the field:
15 Ange CAPUOZZO (Stade Toulousain, 17 caps)
14 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 14 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 32 caps)
12 Federico MORI (Bayonne, 15 caps)
11 Monty IOANE (Lyon 27 caps)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Montpellier, 33 caps)
9 Martin PAGE-RELO (Lyon, 5 caps)
8 Ross VINTCENT (Exeter, 1 cap)
7 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 35 caps) – captain
6 Riccardo FAVRETTO (Benetton Rugby, 1 cap)
5 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 51 caps)
4 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 38 caps)
3 Giosuè ZILOCCHI (Benetton Rugby, 18 caps)
2 Giacomo NICOTERA (Benetton Rugby, 20 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (Zebre Parma, 38 caps)
Available
16 Gianmarco LUCCHESI (Benetton Rugby, 19 caps)
17 Mirco SPAGNOLO (Benetton Rugby, 2 caps)
18 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 50 caps)
19 Matteo CANALI (Zebre Parma, rookie)
20 Andrea ZAMBONIN (Zebre Parma, 5 caps)
21 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 19 caps)
22 Stephen VARNEY (Gloucester, 26 caps)
23 Leonardo MARIN (Benetton Rugby, 6 caps)
