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Brex's continued absence for Italy offset by superstar's return
By Jon Newcombe
Italian superstar Ange Capuozzo will make his first appearance of the year against France in Lille on Sunday after recovering from the broken finger he suffered while playing for Toulouse in December.
Capuozzo has missed the first two rounds of the Guinness Six Nations but he’s now back in the team at full-back as he prepares to win his 32nd cap.
Coming up against some of his club teammates, Capuozzo’s counterattacking threat will boost Italy’s chances of causing a shock and winning in France for the first time in Six Nations history.
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The 25-year-old scored Italy’s only try in the 13-13 draw the last time the sides faced each other at the Decathlon Arena, Stade Pierre Mauroy, when Paolo Garbisi blew a chance foir a historic win when he struck the post with a last-gasp penalty attempt.
However, Juan Ignacio Brex’s continued absence from the midfield is a blow, as he has been a rock in the Azzurri midfield until missing last weekend’s 20-13 defeat to Ireland due to “family reasons.”
Other than Capuozzo for Lorenzo Pani, head coach Gonzalo Quesada has decided against making any other changes to his starting XV.
Hooker Pablo Dimcheff and prop Giosue Zilocchi come onto the bench.
Italy team vs France:
15 Ange CAPUOZZO (Stade Toulousain, 31 caps)
14 Louis LYNAGH (Benetton Rugby, 11 caps)
13 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 36 caps)
12 Leonardo MARIN (Benetton Rugby, 19 caps)
11 Monty IOANE (Lyon, 44 caps)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Toulon, 51 caps)
9 Alessandro FUSCO (Zebre Parma, 22 caps)
8 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 35 caps)
7 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 40 caps)
6 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 51 caps, Cpt.)
5 Andrea ZAMBONIN (Exeter Chiefs, 16 caps)
4 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 60 caps)
3 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 71 caps)
2 Giacomo NICOTERA (Stade Français, 38 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (Northampton Saints 60 caps)
Replacements:
16 Pablo DIMCHEFF (Colomiers Rugby, 3 caps)
17 Mirco SPAGNOLO (Benetton Rugby, 21 caps)
18 Giosuè ZILOCCHI (Benetton Rugby, 24 caps)
19 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 69 caps)
20 Riccardo FAVRETTO (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps)
21 David ODIASE (Zebre Parma, 4 caps)
22 Alessandro GARBISI (Benetton Rugby, 21 caps)
23 Paolo ODOGWU (Benetton Rugby, 8 caps)
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