Italy vs France line-ups: Team news ahead of Women’s Six Nations fixture

Everything you need to know ahead of the Women’s Six Nations fixture

Italy and France conclude the opening weekend of the Women’s Six Nations (Getty Images)

Italy and France will be hoping to get their Women’s Six Nations campaigns off to strong starts as they conclude the opening weekend of action.

The pair are familiar foes, meeting four times last year, including in the quarter-finals of the autumn’s World Cup.

While France emerged as comfortable winners from that last eight encounter, Italy’s win in a warm-up encounter ahead of that tournament will give them confidence they can challenge a traditional contender.

But with both nations shorn of a raft of key players, and having changed coaching set-ups, since their last meeting, there is an element of the unknown to each side as they start a new World Cup cycle.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is Italy vs France?

Italy vs France is due to kick-off at 3pm BST on Sunday 26 March at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma, Italy.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the Women’s Six Nations live on the BBC, with coverage of Italy vs France available via the red button, BBC iPlayer, and on the BBC Sport app or website.

Team News

Italy are now coached by Giovanni Raineri after the departure of stalwart Andrea Di Giandomenico, who had been in charge since 2009. Ranieri will be without the recently retired Manuela Furlan, Maria Magatti and Melissa Bettoni, though scrum-half Sara Barratin has been named on the bench despite appearing to indicate she too would be bowing out of rugby ahead of this campaign. No 8 Elisa Giordano is the Azzurre’s skipper.

Also under new leadership are France, with Gaelle Mignot and David Ortiz taken on combined lead-coaching roles after a series of changes to the French coaching structure over the last 12 months. Lock Audrey Forlani is a slightly surprise choice as skipper after missing out on the World Cup, but second row is a problem area, with injury ruling Madoussou Fall out of the tournament and both Safi N’Diaye and Celine Ferer now retired, so Manaé Feleu gets the call. Outstanding scrum-half Laure Sansus is another to depart after the World Cup, while this Six Nations will be Jessy Tremouliere’s last as a player.

Line-ups

Italy XV: 15 Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi, 14 Aura Muzzo, 13 Michela Sillari, 12 Beatrice Rigoni, 11 Alyssa D’Incà, 10 Veronica Madia, 9 Sofia Stefan; 1 Silvia Turani, 2 Vittoria Vecchini, 3 Lucia Gai, 4 Valeria Fedrighi, 5 Giordana Duca, 6 Francesca Sgorbini, 7 Giada Franco, 8 Elisa Giordano (c)

Replacements: 16 Emanuela Stecca, 17 Gaia Maris, 18 Sara Seye, 19 Sara Tounesi, 20 Isabella Locatelli, 21 Sara Barattin, 22 Emma Stevanin, 23 Beatrice Capomaggi

France XV: 15. Émilie Boulard, 14. Cyrielle Banet, 13. Marine Ménager, 12. Gabrielle Vernier, 11. Caroline Boujard, 10. Carla Arbez, 9. Pauline Bourdon; 1. Annaëlle Deshaye, 2. Agathe Sochat, 3. Assia Khalfaoui, 4. Manaé Feleu, 5. Audrey Forlani (c), 6. Axelle Berthoumieu, 7. Emeline Gros, 8. Charlotte Escudero

Replacements:16. Célia Domain, 17. Coco Lindelauf, 18. Rose Bernadou, 19. Maëlle Picut, 20. Gaëlle Hermet, 21. Alexandra Chambon, 22. Jessy Trémoulière, 23. Marie Dupouy

Prediction

Italy are more than capable of running France close. The visitors will have to quickly embed a number of new combinations, but should still pip the home side. Italy 20-27 France