(ANSA) – ROME, MAR 13 – 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). (ANSA).
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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). (ANSA).
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