France, Italy clash
FRANCE welcome Italy to the Stade de France in the final game of Round 1 of the Guinness Six Nations in Paris.
Les Bleus enter the Championship looking to make it third time lucky after back-to-back runners-up finishes, and will be desperate to get off to a good start.
Their record at home to Italy is strong, the Azzurri have never won at the Stade de France, while the French finished last year with a comprehensive win over the All Blacks.
They will be keen to carry the momentum from that success here, knowing that with three home games in 2022, this is a prime opportunity to claim a first title since 2010. For Italy, the Kieran Crowley era began in November and now the former Benetton coach will embark on a first Guinness Six Nations in charge.
Like Franco Smith before him, he is putting his faith in youth, and the hope will be that with Italy’s improved results at age-group level, that decision pays off soon.
Despite a disrupted build-up that saw a number of big names absent from the early preparations – and coach Fabien Galthié testing positive on Friday – France go into this game with largely a full deck from which to choose.
There are just two changes from the side that beat the All Blacks in November.
Dylan Cretin is preferred to François Cros in the back row, while fit-again Julien Marchand takes his spot at hooker as Peato Mauvaka drops to the bench.
That means that Cameron Woki continues in the second row, while Antoine Dupont will once again lead the side in the absence of Charles Ollivon.
On the bench, Matthieu Jalibert is deemed to be just short of fitness, so Thomas Ramos will provide fly-half cover, while Yoram Moefana is in line to add to the two caps he won in 2020.
Crowley, meanwhile, has handed out two debuts in his starting line-up as Number 8 Toa Halafihi and winger Tommaso Menoncello are named in the run-on side.
They could be joined by fellow uncapped pair Manuel Zuliani and Leonardo Marin.
Elsewhere, Stephen Varney and Paolo Garbisi make up a familiar half-back pairing, while skipper Michele Lamaro leads the side from the back row.-sixnationsrugby.com.