Grand Slam champions France will kick off their 2023 Guinness Six Nations campaign in Rome against an Italy side who are full of confidence after a strong 2022 of their own.
The Azzurri ended their long wait for a Championship victory thanks to a last-gasp success in Wales, and followed that up by winning four of their next six matches including a first-ever victory over Australia.
In Sunday’s game at the Stadio Olimpico, Italy will be looking to beat France for the first time in a decade, while Les Bleus will seek to make it 14 wins in a row under Fabien Galthié after an unbeaten calendar year.
Italy team news
Michele Lamaro will captain a strong Italy side, where Tommaso Allan has the task of filling in for the injured Paolo Garbisi at fly-half.
Allan will join Stephen Varney in the half-backs, with Tommaso Menoncello, a try-scorer against France on debut last year, starting in the back three alongside Pierre Bruno and France-based Ange Capuozzo.
Luca Morisi and Juan Ignacio Brex make up the midfield, while up front, Danilo Fischetti and Simone Ferrari will pack down either side of Giacomo Nicotera, who gets the nod at hooker in the absence of Gianmarco Lucchesi.
Niccolò Cannone and brother Lorenzo both start, the former in the second row with Federico Ruzza, the latter in the back row with Lamaro and Sebastian Negri.
There is one uncapped player on the bench, second row Edoardo Iachizzi, while there is also a spot for Edoardo Padovani, scorer of the match-winning try in Cardiff last year.
Italy: 15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Pierre Bruno, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Luca Morisi, 11 Tommaso Menoncello, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Stephen Varney, 1 Danilo Fischetti, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 3 Simone Ferrari, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 5 Federico Ruzza, 6 Sebastian Negri, 7 Michele Lamaro (c), 8 Lorenzo Cannone
Replacements: 16 Luca Bigi, 17 Federico Zani, 18 Pietro Ceccarelli, 19 Edoardo Iachizzi, 20 Giovanni Pettinelli, 21 Manuel Zuliani, 22 Alessandro Fusco, 23 Edoardo Padovani
France team news
Winger Ethan Dumortier will make his debut for Les Bleus as part of a rejigged backline for the Championship opener.
Dumortier gets the nod after Gabin Villière was ruled out of the Guinness Six Nations through injury, making up a back three with Damian Penaud and Thomas Ramos, who keeps the full-back jersey after impressing in November.
The versatile Yoram Moefana starts at inside centre alongside Gaël Fickou, with skipper Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack forming a familiar half-back pairing.
The pack is as expected, with Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand and Uini Atonio making up the front row, while Thibaud Flament starts alongside the returning Paul Willemse, with Cameron Woki out injured.
In the back row, Anthony Jelonch and Charles Ollivon will pack down on the flanks with Grégory Alldritt at No.8.
There is one new face on the bench, Racing 92 scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec in line for his debut, while Gaëtan Barlot, Reda Wardi, Sipili Falatea Thomas Lavault and Sekou Macalou will all make their Championship debuts.
France: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Gaël Fickou, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Ethan Dumortier, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Antoine Dupont (c), 1 Cyril Baille, 2 Julien Marchand, 3 Uini Atonio, 4 Thibaud Flament, 5 Paul Willemse, 6 Anthony Jelonch, 7 Charles Ollivon, 8 Grégory Alldritt
Replacements: 16 Gaëtan Barlot, 17 Reda Wardi, 18 Sipili Falatea, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Thomas Lavault, 21 Sekou Macalou, 22 Nolann Le Garrec, 23 Matthieu Jalibert
