Niccolò Cannone replaces Dino Lamb in the second row as the Azzurri pick an otherwise unchanged XV
The Italy Six Nations 2025 team to face Wales features just one change to the line-up that started against Scotland last weekend. Head coach Gonzalo Quesada has kept faith with the players who lost in Edinburgh on Saturday, in a match that’s widely seen as a potential Wooden Spoon decider.
The one switch to the starting XV comes in the second row, where Niccolò Cannone replaces Dino Lamb. Lamb has a spot on the replacements bench, where winger Jacopo Trulla comes in for Simone Gesi – the only other change in the 23.
In the pack, Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera and Simone Ferrari once again form the front row, ahead of locks Cannone and Federico Ruzza. Sebastian Negri and captain Michele Lamaro are the flankers. Cannone’s brother, Lorenzo, starts at number 8.
Italy’s backs didn’t cause Scotland quite as many defensive problems as predicted, but Wales will need to keep a close eye on this talented unit. The Benetton centre partnership of Juan Ignacio Brex and Tommaso Menoncello (last year’s player of the tournament) is one of the best in the tournament, and there’s also plenty of attacking threat in the back line of Tommaso Allan, Monty Ioane and Ange Capuozzo. Martin Page-Relo and Paolo Garbisi return at scrum-half and fly-half, respectively.
Quesada has stuck with a 6-2 split among the replacements. Trulla joins Gianmarco Lucchesi, Luca Rizzoli, Marco Riccioni, Niccolò Cannone, Manuel Zuliani, Ross Vintcent and Alessandro Garbisi on the bench.
Italy v Wales kicks off at 2.15pm GMT on Saturday 8 February.
Italy Six Nations team v Wales
15. Tommaso Allan
14. Ange Capuozzo
13. Juan Ignacio Brex
12. Tommaso Menoncello
11. Monty Ioane
10. Paolo Garbisi
9. Martin Page-Relo
1. Danilo Fischetti
2. Giacomo Nicotera
3. Simone Ferrari
4. Niccolò Cannone
5. Federico Ruzza
6. Sebastian Negri
7. Michele Lamaro (captain)
8. Lorenzo Cannone
Replacements:
16. Gianmarco Lucchesi
17. Luca Rizzoli
18. Marco Riccioni
19. Dino Lamb
20. Manuel Zuliani
21. Ross Vintcent
22. Alessandro Garbisi
23. Jacopo Trulla
Italy Six Nations team v Scotland
15. Tommaso Allan
14. Ange Capuozzo
13. Juan Ignacio Brex
12. Tommaso Menoncello
11. Monty Ioane
10. Paolo Garbisi
9. Martin Page-Relo
1. Danilo Fischetti
2. Giacomo Nicotera
3. Simone Ferrari
4. Dino Lamb
5. Federico Ruzza
6. Sebastian Negri
7. Michele Lamaro (captain)
8. Lorenzo Cannone
Replacements:
16. Gianmarco Lucchesi
17. Luca Rizzoli
18. Marco Riccioni
19. Niccolò Cannone
20. Manuel Zuliani
21. Ross Vintcent
22. Alessandro Garbisi
23. Simone Gesi
Italy 2025 Six Nations squad
Forwards
Simone Ferrari
Riccardo Faveretto
Danilo Fischetti
Federico Ruzza
Marco Riccioni
Lorenzo Cannone
Luca Rizzoli
Alessandro Izekor
Giosue Zilocchi
Michele Lamaro
Gianmarco Lucchesi
Sebastian Negri
Gianmarco Nicotera
Ross Vintcent
Niccolo Cannone
Manuel Zuliani
Dino Lamb
Backs
Alessandro Garbisi
Juan Ignacio Brex
Martin Page-Relo
Tommaso Menoncello
Stephen Varney
Ange Capuozzo
Tommaso Allen
Matt Gallagher
Paolo Garbisi
Simone Gesi
Leonardo Marin
Monty Ioane
Jacopo Trulla
Italy Six Nations squad: Line-ups from every match in 2024
Round 1: v England (Stadio Olimpico)
Starting XV: Tommaso Allan, Lorenzo Pani, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane, Paolo Garbisi, Alessandro Garbisi; Danilo Fischetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Pietro Ceccarelli, Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro (captain), Lorenzo Cannone
Replacements: Giacomo Nicotera, Mirco Spagnolo, Giosue Zilocchi, Andrea Zambonin, Edoardo Iachizzi, Manuel Zuliani, Stephen Varney, Federico Mori
Result: Italy 24-27 England
Round 2: v Ireland (Aviva Stadium)
Starting XV: Ange Capuozzo; Lorenzo Pani, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Montanna Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Danilo Fischetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Pietro Ceccarelli, Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Alessandro Izekor, Manuel Zulani, Michele Lamaro
Replacements: Giacomo Nicotera, Mirco Spagnolo, Giosue Zilocchi, Andrea Zambonin, Ross Vintcent, Martin Page-Relo, Tommaso Allan, Federico Mori
Result: Ireland 36-0 Italy
Round 3: v France (Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille)
Starting XV: Ange Capuozzo; Tommaso Menoncello, Juan Ignacio Brex, Federico Mori, Montanna Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Martin Page-Relo; Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Giosue Zilocchi, Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Riccardo Favretto, Michele Lamaro, Ross Vintcent
Replacements: Gianmarco Lucchesi, Mirco Spagnolo, Simone Ferrari, Matteo Canali, Andrea Zambonin, Manuel Zuliani, Stephen Varney, Leonardo Marin
Result: France 13-13 Italy
Round 4: v Scotland (Stadio Olimpico)
Starting XV: Ange Capuozzo; Louis Lynagh, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Montanna Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Martin Page-Relo; Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Simone Ferrari, Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro, Ross Vintcent
Replacements: Gianmarco Lucchesi, Mirco Spagnolo, Giosue Zilocchi, Andrea Zambonin, Lorenzo Cannone, Stephen Varney, Leonardo Marin, Federico Mori
Result: Italy 31-29 Scotland
Round 5: v Wales (Principality Stadium)
Starting XV: Lorenzo Pani; Louis Lynagh, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Montanna Ioane, Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Simone Ferrari, Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro, Lorenzo Cannone
Replacements: Gianmarco Lucchesi, Mirco Spagnolo, Giosue Zilocchi, Andrea Zambonin, Ross Vintcent, Manuel Zuliani, Martin Page-Relo, Leonardo Marin
Result: Wales 21-24 Italy
Italy Six Nations squad 2024
Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby)
Lorenzo PANI (Zebre Parma)
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