Italy name team to face Ireland

March 13, 2025
228
Ultimate Rugby

Gonzalo Quesada, Technical Commissioner of the Italian Men's National Team, has announced the lineup that will face Ireland on Saturday 15 March at 15:15 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The match, valid for the fifth day of the Guinness Six Nations 2025, will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Uno and free-to-air on Rai 2.

It will be the 38th match between the two teams that will face each other in the match that will open the “super Saturday” with all the teams that – for the last round of the tournament – face each other on the same day.

There are seven changes in the starting XV compared to the formation that took to the field at Twickenham. Tommaso Allan returns to the extended triangle from the first minute with Capuozzo moved to the wing with Ioane. The pair of centers is consolidated with Brex - in his second cap as captain, first in the Six Nations - and Menoncello, while the keys to the midfield will be entrusted to Paolo Garbisi and Page-Relo with the latter having come off the bench in the match against England.

The only confirmation in the third line is for Sebastian Negri with the inclusion from the first minute of Zuliani and Lorenzo Cannone. In the second line together with Ruzza Dino Lamb returns, while in the front line Ferrari, Lucchesi and Fischetti will take the field from the first minute.

First call-up to the 2025 Six Nations squad for Leonardo Marin. Together with the Benetton Rugby three-quarters, ready to come off the bench are Nicotera, Spagnolo, Zilocchi, Niccolò Cannone, Lamaro, Vintcent, Varney.

The match will be refereed by English referee Luke Pearce.

"We have a new, important opportunity to take to the field in the Six Nations in front of our fans. It is a long and demanding tournament from various points of view. Our task is also to evaluate these aspects and make choices. The match develops over eighty minutes and the contribution of all the players in the match list will be fundamental" said Gonzalo Quesada.

This is the formation that will take to the field

15 Tommaso ALLAN (Perpignan, 85 caps)

14 Ange CAPUOZZO (Stade Toulousain, 27 caps)

13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 45 caps) – captain

12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 27 caps)

11 Monty IOANE (Lyon, 38 caps)

10 Paolo GARBISI (Toulon, 46 caps)

9 Martin PAGE-RELO (Lyon, 17 caps)

8 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 27 caps)

7 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 31 caps)

6 Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 62 caps)

5 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 63 caps)