The 2019 Guinness Six Nations title will not be on the line in Rome – but there is still plenty to play for when Italy welcome France to kick off Super Saturday.
Conor O’Shea’s side are chasing their first win of the this year’s Championship and will have taken heart from their previous outings in the Eternal City.
They have downed France here before – back in 2011 and 2013 – and gave both Wales and Ireland serious frights this year already.
Injuries have played their part this week for the Azzurri however, with O’Shea forced to make a total of five changes to his starting XV from the one that lost last time out at Twickenham.
That means Marco Zanon comes into midfield for his international debut while in the pack Jake Polledri gets his first start of this year’s Championship on his injury return.
David Sisi also returns in the second row while Leonardo Ghiraldini is back in at hooker, with Tiziano Pasquali recalled at prop.
Marco Zanon’s debut
His 100-cap stars setting the tone
Cutting out the defensive mistakes
Five changes for @Federugby
to face France in their #GuinnessSixNations finale and Conor O’Shea has discussed his thinking
https://t.co/vVSlTu6AUf
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 14, 2019
Jacques Brunel’s France side restored pride in Round Three with a thumping win over Scotland but then lost momentum with a disappointing Dublin defeat a week later.
Victory on Saturday in the Stadio Olimpico is absolutely vital for both sides to end the Championship on a high and Brunel has cut his cloth accordingly.
Back in comes the experience of Wesley Fofana in midfield and Maxime Medard at full-back while in the pack, there are call-ups for Yacouba Camara, Paul Willemse, Gregory Alldritt and Etienne Falgoux.
WHAT THEY SAID
Italy head coach Conor O’Shea
“France are a very strong team, like all the teams we face in the Guinness Six Nations every year,†said O’Shea.
“Our journey to the high level is continuing and I am sure that the road is the right one. In France, the pressure is different but we have the same desire to win and we want to finish the Championship in the best way. The focus will be on ourselves.â€
France head coach Jacques Brunel
“We want to show a different face this week but the results speak themselves. We are not at the level of some of the other teams in this Championship.
“But the team that played against Ireland and England – that was not the real French team.
“We haven’t fixed everything, of course there are still things we need to work on. We will carry on working hard and with the World Cup to come, we are hopeful we can get it right.â€
KEY BATTLE – SERGIO PARISSE v LOUIS PICAMOLES
Might this be the last time we see these two Guinness Six Nations legends face off in the international arena?
Two No.8s of the highest quality, these two have battled each other domestically in the Top 14 and on the biggest stage of them all in Rugby’s Greatest Championship for years.
And on Saturday, the two will have a key role to play for their respective sides, both carrying with ball in hand but also as leaders providing the key experience to their younger cohorts.
STATS – POWERED BY AWS
- Italy downed France at home in back-to-back Championship meetings in 2011 and 2013 but have not beaten their Latin rivals since
- 29 of France’s 68 points this Championship – 42.6 per cent – have come in the final quarter while the Azzurri have conceded 42 points in that quarter, more than any other side.
- France will need to beware the Italian lineout, which rules the skies in the Championship with a 95.1 per cent success rate on their own ball, having made nine steals on their opponents’.
- France have made the most linebreaks in this year’s Championship and Yoann Huget leads the way individually with six.
FANTASY WATCH
There is plenty of value to be found in both of these sides in what could be a classic on Saturday.
From an Italian perspective, Jake Polledri at only 8.9 stars looks a must-have. The Gloucester man carries with bustling intent and tackles everything that moves and should rack up the fantasy points.
For France, the returning Wesley Fofana is massively under-priced at 12 stars.
In his final Guinness Six Nations game, the centre will have a point to prove
And the Clermont man has two tries in his three career appearances against the Azzurri – including one on his debut back in 2012.
TEAMS
Italy: Jayden Hayward, Edoardo Padovani, Marco Zanon, Luca Morisi, Angelo Esposito, Tommaso Allan, Tito Tebaldi, Andrea Lovotti, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Tiziano Pasquali, David Sisi, Federico Ruzza, Abraham Steyn, Jake Polledri, Sergio Parisse (c)
Replacements: Luca Bigi, Cherif Traore, Simone Ferrari, Alessandro Zanni, Seb Negri, Guglielmo Palazzani, Ian McKinley, Luca Sperandio
France: Maxime Medard, Damian Penaud, Mathieu Bastareaud, Wesley Fofana, Yoann Huget, Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont, Etienne Falgoux, Guilhem Guirado (c), Demba Bamba, Felix Lambey, Paul Willemse, Gregory Alldritt, Yacouba Camara, Louis Picamoles
Replacements: Camille Chat, Dany Priso, Dorian Aldegheri, Paul Gabrillagues, Arthur Iturria, Baptiste Serin, Camille Lopez, Thomas Ramos
Referee: Matt Carley
The post Preview: Italy v France appeared first on Six Nations Rugby.
Source: 6 Nations