BRUNEL: WE HAVEN’T SEEN REAL FRANCE
FRANCE and Italy will do battle today as both teams attempt to end disappointing Six Nations campaigns on a high. Eight previous matches have yielded just one victory between them — France’s win over Scotland. Comprehensive defeats by England and Ireland have been particularly painful for France, and head coach Jacques Brunel is hopeful of a reaction from his team. ‘We want to show a different face this week but the results speak for 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. There are still things we need to work on. We will carry on working and, with the World Cup to come, we are hopeful we can get it right.” France have lost twice in Rome, in 2011 and 2013, and Italy have tested both Wales and Ireland. Injuries have forced Italy coach Conor O’Shea into five changes, with Marco Zanon making his international debut while Jake Polledri, David Sisi, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Tiziano Pasquali also come in. Brunel has brought back the experienced Wesley Fofana and Maxime Medard, and there are also places for Yacouba Camara, Paul Willemse, Gregory Alldritt and Etienne Falgoux. Italy have not won a Six Nations match since 2015, and O’Shea said: ‘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.’ ITALY: J Hayward, E Padovani, M Zanon, L Morisi, A Esposito, T Allan, T Tebaldi; A Lovotti, L Ghiraldini, T Pasquali, D Sisi, F Ruzza, A Steyn, J Polledri, S Parisse (capt). Reps: L Bigi, C Traore, S Ferrari, A Zanni, S Negri, G Palazzani, I McKinley, L Sperandio. FRANCE: M Medard, D Penaud, M Bastareaud, W Fofana, Y Huget, R Ntamack, A Dupont; E Falgoux, G Guirado (capt), D Bamba, F Lambey, P Willemse, G Alldritt, Y Camara, L Picamoles. Reps: C Chat, D Priso, D Aldegheri, P Gabrillagues, A Iturria, B Serin, C Lopez, T Ramos.