Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada has
shaken up his starting line-up for Saturday's final Six Nations
clash against Ireland in Rome making seven changes from the team
that lost 47-24 to England at Twickenham last weekend and
keeping captain Michele Lamaro on the bench at the start.
In the back row, in place of Lamaro, Manuel Zuliani will start
and with him Lorenzo Cannone, preferred to Ross Vintcent as
number 8.
In the second row Dino Lamb returns to the starting lineup,
while in the front row the new additions will be right prop
Simone Ferrari and hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi.
Among the three-quarters, with Matt Gallagher injured, Ange
Capuozzo will play on the wing and Tommy Allan will return to
the role of fullback, as well as Martin Page-Relo returning to
scrum-half.
There is also an absolute novelty on the bench, with Leonardo
Marin as utility back.
The captain in place of Lamaro will be the three-quarter 'Nacho'
Brex.
There are also six new additions to the Irish XV, with Jack
Crowley taking back the place of fly-half that he had held
throughout the 2024 6 Nations, won by the greens, at the expense
of 22-year-old Sam Prendergast, who has always been a starter in
this year's tournament so far.
Wingers James Lowe and Mack Hansen are back in the team, having
recovered from their respective physical problems, while in the
centre Garry Ringrose, returning after suspension, will take
Bundee Aki's place.
Then, compared to the test match lost heavily against France,
there is James Ryan in place of Joe McCarthy and flanker Jack
Conan who sends Peter O'Mahony to the bench.
The latter, together with Conor Murray, will come on during the
match to play what, for both, will be the last match with the
national team: in fact before the start of this 6 Nations both
O'Mahony and Murray had announced their retirement from
international rugby at the end of this year's tournament.
These are the two announced XVs for Italy-Ireland: Italy: 15
Tommaso Allan; 14 Monty Ioane, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex (c), 12
Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Ange Capuozzo; 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Martin
Page-Relo; 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Sebastian
Negri; 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Dino Lamb; 3 Simone Ferrari, 2
Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Danilo Fischetti. (16 Giacomo Nicotera, 17
Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Giosuè Zilocchi, 19 Niccolò Cannone, 20
Michele Lamaro, 21 Ross Vintcent, 22 Stephen Varney, 23 Leonardo
Marin).
Ireland: 15 Hugo Keenan; 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12
Robbie Henshaw, 11 James Lowe; 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Jamison
Gibson-Park; 8 Caelan Doris (c), 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Jack
Conan; 5 Tadhg Beirne, 4 James Ryan; 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Dan
Sheehan, 1 Andrew Porter. (16 Gus McCarthy, 17 Jack Boyle, 18
Tadhg Furlong, 19 Joe McCarthy, 20 Peter O'Mahony, 21 Conor
Murray, 22 Sam Prendergast, 23 Bundee Aki).
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
