Italy name team for France challenge

February 21, 2025
433
Ultimate Rugby

Gonzalo Quesada, Technical Commissioner of the Italian Men's National Team, has named the team that will face France on Sunday 23 February at 4pm at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, a match valid for the third day of the Guinness Six Nations 2025 which will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Uno and free-to-air on Rai 2.

The two teams will face each other for the fiftieth time in the match that will put the Garibaldi Trophy up for grabs. The last precedent in chronological order, in February 2024, is the only draw in the match played in Lille with the last minute free kick by Paolo Garbisi that ended up on the post that confirmed the result of 13-13.

The number 50 also returns in the caps of Danilo Fischetti and Niccolò Cannone: both players have shared a large part of the path of the Youth National Teams as well as almost all of the matches played together with Italy.

In the extended triangle – together with Tommaso Allan and Ange Capuozzo – Simone Gesi wins his second cap from the start, third in total with the Senior National Team and in the Six Nations. The center pairing of Brex and Menoncello is consolidated, as is the midfield 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 control room.

Almost total confirmation for the scrum package with Lorenzo Cannone and Negri together with captain Lamaro in the third line, while in the second there will be Ruzza and Niccolò Cannone. The only change in the front line compared to the match against Wales is the inclusion of Gianmarco Lucchesi from the first minute together with Ferrari and Fischetti.

Ready to come off the bench are Nicotera, Spagnolo – back from suspension – Zilocchi, for the first time on the match list – like Favretto – in the 2025 edition of the tournament, Zuliani, Vintcent, Alessandro Garbisi and Trulla.

The match will be refereed by Englishman Karl Dickson.

This is the lineup that will take to the field:

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)