Tommaso Menoncello and Toa Halafihi will make their Italy debuts after being named as part of a fresh-looking Azzurri team to face France in their 2022 Guinness Six Nations opener.
Menoncello – who starred in the Six Nations Under-20s a year ago – starts on the wing, with Halafihi at No.8, and although they are the only uncapped players, the entire starting XV is relatively inexperienced with flanker Seb Negri the team veteran with 36 caps.
Twelve of the starting line-up play for Benetton Rugby, ensuring an element of continuity in Kieran Crowley’s selection as he goes into his first Championship as head coach.
READ: Dupont named as France captain to face Italy
The non-Benetton trio are Stephen Varney and Paolo Garbisi – who will re-form their exciting half-back partnership that has impressed over the past 12 months – and loosehead prop Danilo Fischetti of Zebre Parma.
Powerful No.8 Halafihi and blindside flanker Negri are joined in the back row by skipper Michelle Lamaro, while Niccolò Cannone and Federico Ruzza are the locks, with Gianmarco Lucchesi and Tiziano Pasquali – who will win his first cap since 2019 – alongside Fischetti in the front row.
Outside Varney and Garbisi, Marco Zanon and Juan Ignacio Brex will combine in midfield, as speedster Menoncello has Monty Ioane and Edoardo Padovani alongside him in the back three.
Manuel Zuliani and Leonardo Marin could both make their Italy debuts from the bench and, as the Azzurri gun for a first victory against France since 2013, Crowley is excited to get the 2022 Championship started.
“The work done in these weeks of preparation, towards the start of the Six Nations, has been intense and of quality,” he said.
“There is a lot of energy in the group and awareness of taking the field in one of the most important tournaments in the world of rugby and sport.
“We will focus on our performance: it will be important to stay clear in the key moments of the match.”
Italy team to face France in Round 1 of the 2022 Guinness Six Nations: 15 Edoardo Padovani (Benetton Rugby, 30 caps) 14 Tommaso Menoncello (Benetton Rugby, uncapped) 13 Juan Ignacio Brex (Benetton Rugby, 8 caps) 12 Marco Zanon (Benetton Rugby, 7 caps) 11 Montanna Ioane (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps) 10 Paolo Garbisi (Montpellier, 13 caps) 9 Stephen Varney (Gloucester Rugby, 9 caps) 1 Danilo Fischetti (Zebre Parma, 15 caps) 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi (Benetton Rugby, 8 caps) 3 Tiziano Pasquali (Benetton Rugby, 21 caps) 4 Niccolò Cannone (Benetton Rugby, 15 caps) 5 Federico Ruzza (Benetton Rugby, 25 caps) 6 Sebastian Negri (Benetton Rugby, 36 caps) 7 Michele Lamaro (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps) – captain 8 Toa Halafihi (Benetton Rugby, uncapped)
Replacements: 16 Epalahame Faiva (Benetton Rugby, 1 cap) 17 Ivan Nemer (Benetton Rugby, 3 caps) 18 Giosuè Zilocchi (Zebre Parma, 15 caps) 19 Marco Fuser (Newcastle Falcons, 36 caps) 20 Giovanni Pettinelli (Benetton Rugby, 1 cap) 21 Manuel Zuliani (Benetton Rugby, uncapped) 22 Callum Braley (Benetton Rugby, 12 caps) 23 Leonardo Marin (Benetton Rugby, uncapped)
