Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France
49 - 22
FT
7 - 45
FT
15 - 12
FT
27 - 31
FT
37 - 12
FT
23 - 26
FT
79 - 14
FT
85 - 7
FT
LIVE
23'
Today
08:45
Today
14:00
InternationalEnglandItaly

Italy name team to take on England

Players of Italy participate in the national anthem prior to the Guinness Six Nations match against Scotland in February (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Conor O’Shea has made three changes to his Italy team to face England on Saturday following their encouraging round three performance against defending champions Ireland.

ADVERTISEMENT

Veteran talisman Sergio Parisse returns at No8 after recovering from the concussion that ruled him out of the last match. His inclusion sees Braam Steyn switch to openside to fill the void left by the injured Maxime Mbanda.

Italy’s back row is further shaken up by Sebastian Negri’s return to the back in the team in place of Jimmy Tuivaiti at blindside.

Their other change comes at hooker where Luca Bigi, a replacement the last day, takes over from the benched Leonardo Ghiraldini. In the replacements there is a call-up for Gloucester’s Jake Polledri who comes in for Alessandro Zanni.

“It will be a great challenge,” said O’Shea about his team’s trip to Twickenham on the back of a 120-match losing streak in the Six Nations.

(Continue reading below…)

Video Spacer

“We trained well during the week, continuing the excellent work done before the match against Ireland. The focus must be on ourselves and on all the things we can control, trying to play our best rugby. I’ve said to the players I don’t want them to even think about the result, their job is to deliver a performance of intensity, physicality and ambition.

“I’ll say ambition 20 times because I want them to go out and play. I’ll take the flak for any results. The big thing is to get the confidence to win and get the energy that comes with that. We have to dust ourselves down every time and come back. This is a massive ask but I can’t wait for this weekend.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Parisse is returning for his 137th Test appearance and his 68th in the Six Nations. Ghiraldini will move to third on the Italian all-time championship appearances list behind the skipper and Martin Castrogiovanni if he comes on as a sub to play for the 52nd time in the tournament.

Italy team (v England)
15 Jayden HAYWARD (Benetton Rugby, 15 caps)
14 Edoardo PADOVANI (Zebre Rugby Club, 18 caps)
13 Luca MORISI (Benetton Rugby, 23 caps)
12 Michele CAMPAGNARO (Wasps, 41 caps)
11 Angelo ESPOSITO (Benetton Rugby, 18 caps)
10 Tommaso ALLAN (Benetton Rugby, 46 caps)
9 Tito TEBALDI (Benetton Rugby, 30 caps)
8 Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais, 136 caps) – captain
7 Abraham Jurgens STEYN (Benetton Rugby, 28 caps)
6 Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 14 caps)
5 Dean BUDD (Benetton Rugby, 19 caps)
4 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps)
3 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 20 caps)
2 Luca BIGI (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
1 Andrea LOVOTTI (Zebre Rugby Club, 32 caps)
Replacements
16 Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Stade Toulousian, 102 caps)
17 Cherif TRAORE ‘(Benetton Rugby, 8 caps)
18 Tiziano PASQUALI (Benetton Rugby, 16 caps)
19 David SISI (Zebre Rugby Club, 3 chaps)
20 Jake POLLEDRI (Gloucester Rugby, 6 caps)
21 Guglielmo PALAZZANI (Zebras Rugby Club, 30 caps)
22 Ian MCKINLEY (Benetton Rugby, 7 caps)
23 Tommaso CASTELLO (Zebre Rugby Club, 17 caps)

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

1

Bath player ratings vs Lyon | 2025 Challenge Cup final

2

Edinburgh Rugby sign Ben White and Charlie McCaig

3

'He's an incredible athlete': 112kg forward named the fastest at Bath

4

Northampton turn to South African to take over as scrum coach

5

Bath hold nothing back with team for Challenge Cup final

6

Sam Cane set for international swansong against Springboks

7

Stormers' URC title hopes take a hit as Bok Damian Willemse banned

8

Why the All Blacks don't need to bother with a bomb squad

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

LONG READ

Elliot Millar Mills: 'You've come this far, you're being a coward if you give up'

The Northampton prop was ready to retire two years ago having never started a top-flight match. Now, he's a Premiership winner and Champions Cup finalist.

LONG READ

Fans flock to France’s ‘formidable’ ProD2 as English second tier plays catch-up

With former Test stars and record crowds, the ProD2 is a showcase for French rugby as the play-offs begin.

LONG READ

James Ramm: Backflips, Bambi and the biggest game of my life

Once a gymnast with Olympic goals, the Northampton Saints flyer is relishing his shot at Investec Champions Cup glory.

Comments on RugbyPass

C
Cantab 11 days ago
Teenager Braxton Sorensen-McGee reflects on dream Black Ferns debut

Although NZ won comfortably enough they weren’t always convincing and a better opposition may well have found them out. If our gun 7s players can translate their skills to the 15s game the team would have the ability to beat anyone. Need to be given the chance though.

4 Go to comments
J
James 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

And how do you see the Wallabies loosehead / Lion’s tighthead battle Nick?

37 Go to comments
d
dw 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Also interested in your thoughts on A Bell. Haven't noticed many scrum issues recently. He also seems to play 60 or so mins every game. A bit of a fan (even though he’s a tah..) but wondered if the Lions would target his scrummaging

37 Go to comments
d
dw 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

True. And you look at how the European coaches have got so much out of skelton and how much the local fans love him…and then some Oz fans will still say “he played poorly for the tahs I'm 2015!”

37 Go to comments
d
dw 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Thanks Nick but your headline has just jinxed us and reminded me of that night in 2013!

I love any analysis of the scrums such as the above. Cheers.


Allalatoa seems to be in good form and Nongorr appears to be able to hold his own? I think they will pick Tupou regardless of form. After Friday night I am concerned he could be sent off in the first five mins of the test though! He got too pumped up and hit a player high and was carded

37 Go to comments
R
RedWarriors 11 days ago
'Most complacent selection decision you will ever see': Barrett benching slammed as Leinster knocked out

I watched the mainstream NZ pundits eg Mils Muliaina and they DID back NZ to win almost to a man.

Ireland will talk their team up as anyone would with the caveats we are playing the ABs and match was de facto 50:50, That is not the same as dismissing the opposition. EG After the quarter John Kirwan said he was sorry France didn’t win versus SA becuase a ‘France-NZ final would be perfect. (The semis had not even been played yet, England and Argentina completely dismissed! He didn’t even realize his own arrogance) NZ are not even aware of the arrogance they exude. Has no Kiwi politely asked the national team to take down the ‘Superstars and Humble Heroes’ boasting on the AB site? Its cringeworthy stuff. Do NZ really see themselves like this?

Note all this BS about Irish arrogance started just after NZs defeat in the 2022 series. Not a coincidence.

Also: this is Irish national TV. We will talk our team up as everyone does. We care too much about judgemental and thin skinned Kiwis getting offended.

91 Go to comments
J
JM 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Aussie rugby fans are obsessed with players they hate, for whatever reason.

Michael Hooper is another one, and the hatred only increased whenever he won John Eales medals or the two times he was nominated world player of the year.

I reckon it is because our forwards are technically and mentally weak they put it all on one player who they think should make way for the messiah.

Same for the general team performance and the hate put on players like White, Lolesio, and Foley who should be pulling rabbits out of the hat every play.

I reckon, if we had of had 5 players with Hooper’s desire and drive spread across the team (and especiallythe forwards), we wouldn’t have woken up in the bottom of the ditch.

37 Go to comments
R
RedWarriors 11 days ago
'What he’s given to this club is nothing short of incredible'

He shouldn’t have been picked. Not physically able for the most intense matches notably in Twickenham last year. Giving him the captaincy was also a very short sighted decision then after RWC 2023. Ireland have a tendency to be a little too loyal, which can mean the team ages and the rebuild is bigger than should be.

Plenty of lads out there to fill that squad.

4 Go to comments
O
OJohn 11 days ago
Geoff Parling returns to Leicester as head coach

Hooray

0 Go to comments
C
Carlos 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

He was also a YC magnet.

37 Go to comments
C
Carlos 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Windsor-Faulkner-Price. 😊

37 Go to comments
S
Solenn Bonnet 11 days ago
Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

WhatsApp.. +15617263697

website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

Telegram.. +15617263697

0 Go to comments
M
Mzilikazi 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Ah, the Pooler front row ! Most legendary in the history of the , I would think. Max Boyce helped…”Here we. here we, here we go, with the Pontypool front row.”

37 Go to comments
M
Mzilikazi 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Would not go as far as whole house in our family, but for me, yes, W1. Loved playing in the scrum, love watching now😀

37 Go to comments
M
Mzilikazi 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Yes, I see that article here on RP, Nick. That is good news that Schmidt is going to look at the o’seas players.


Yes, I would think you are right that LAR will qualify. On the same points as MP, but surely they are too good not to win this crunch game….could be tEnse for ROG in the stands though.

37 Go to comments
B
BC 11 days ago
Who would make it into a Women's British and Irish Lions starting XV?

I would pick Oifa Wafer at 6, put Aldcroft in the second row with Ward. I think Wafer is one of the few non-England players mentioned that would contend for a Red Rose shirt, the others being King and possibly Neve Jones. Conversely there are two English players mentioned, Sing and Venner, that probably won’t even make the Red Rose WC squad, let alone a Lions Tour. Still a lot can change in two years, watch out for Millie David.

1 Go to comments
O
Otagoman II 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Great article NB, thanks. I would like to know what is the reasoning why so many things are penalties in the scrum. Is it to do with safety or something else?

37 Go to comments
N
NB 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

👍

37 Go to comments
N
NB 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Always the same at the other place. Some of those perceptions of him at the Tahs - lazy, overweight and slow - were impossible to shift!

37 Go to comments
N
NB 11 days ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Hang on to Miz Carlos!

37 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Fans flock to France’s ‘formidable’ ProD2 as English second tier plays catch-up Fans flock to France’s ‘formidable’ ProD2 as English second tier plays catch-up
Search