Italy Face French Challenge in Six Nations Clash

Lille, France – Italy will look to continue their impressive form in the Guinness Six Nations when they face a formidable French side at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday. While France are heavily favored, Italy arrives with a newfound confidence after recent performances, aiming to challenge the Grand Slam hopes of the hosts.

Italy’s Rising Threat

Italy has demonstrated significant improvement in recent matches, earning recognition for their cohesive and aggressive front row. Prop Danilo Fischetti, along with Giacomo Nicotera and Simone Ferrari, have been particularly impactful, establishing physical superiority in previous matches against Ireland and Scotland. Analysts predict a tough challenge for France, despite anticipating a French victory.

Team Lineups

Italy

Italy has named an unchanged starting pack from their previous match against Ireland, with Michele Lamaro captaining the side. Ange Capuozzo returns to the starting lineup at fullback, replacing Lorenzo Pani.

• Starting XV: 1. Danilo Fischetti, 2. Giacomo Nicotera, 3. Simone Ferrari, 4. Niccolo Cannone, 5. Andrea Zambonin, 6. Michele Lamaro, 7. Manuel Zuliani, 8. Lorenzo Cannon, 9. Alessandro Fusco, 10. Paolo Garbisi, 11. Monty Ioane, 12. Leonardo Marin, 13. Tommaso Menoncello, 14. Louis Lynagh, 15. Ange Capuozzo
• Replacements: 16. Pablo Dimcheff, 17. Mirco Spagnolo, 18. Giosue Zilocchi, 19. Federico Ruzza, 20. Riccardo Favretto, 21. David Odiase, 22. Alessandro Garbisi, 23. Paolo Odogwu

France

France has made changes to their second row, with Thibaud Flament and Emmanuel Meafou replacing Charles Ollivon and Mickael Guillard. The backline remains unchanged, featuring the dynamic halfback pairing of Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibert.

• Starting XV: 1. Jean-Baptiste Gros, 2. Julien Marchand, 3. Dorian Aldegheri, 4. Thibaud Flament, 5. Emmanuel Meafou, 6. Francois Cros, 7. Oscar Jegou, 8. Anthony Jelonch, 9. Antoine Dupont, 10. Matthieu Jalibert, 11. Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 12. Fabien Brau-Boirie, 13. Emilien Gailleton, 14. Theo Attissogbe, 15. Thomas Ramos
• Replacements: 16. Peato Mauvaka, 17. Rodrigue Neti, 18. Georges-Henri Colombe, 19. Charles Ollivon, 20. Mickael Guillard, 21. Lenni Nouchi, 22. Baptiste Serin, 23. Pierre-Louis Barassi

Key Players to Watch

Tommaso Menoncello and Fabien Brau-Boirie are highlighted as key players for their respective teams. Danilo Fischetti (born January 26, 1998) of Northampton Saints, is a key player for Italy, currently playing prop. He has 58 caps for Italy as of November 23, 2025.

Match Details

The match is set to kick off at 3:10 PM local time (4:10 PM CET) at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille. France enters the match with 10 tournament points and a Grand Slam within reach, while Italy aims to build on their recent successes and potentially cause an upset.