Gonzalo Quesada has named his Italian team to face England.

Gonzalo Quesada, Coach of the Italian National Men's Rugby Team, has named his  line-up that will face England on Saturday 3 February at 3.15pm at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, a match valid for the first day of the Guinness Six Nations 2024 which will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Uno is free-to-air on TV8.

It will be the 31st match between the two teams, the eleventh in Italy and the seventh at the Olympic Stadium in Rome with match referee Paul Williams.

In Quesada's first Italy match, the back three will be formed by Allan - who has consolidated the role of fullback in his club and will reach 80 caps in the Azzurra shirt - Capuozzo and Ioane. Pair of centers formed by Brex and the returning Menoncello after the injury in the pre-World Cup Test Match. Keys to the midfield entrusted to the Garbisi brothers with Paolo and Alessandro returning together from the first minute after the match won against Uruguay in the Rugby World Cup.

In the loseforwards - together with captain Lamaro - space for Negri and Lorenzo Cannone. In the second row with Niccolò Cannone will be Federico Ruzza who reaches the important milestone of 50 caps with the Senior Men's National Team.  

Gianmarco Lucchesi returns to the front row, together with Ceccarelli and Fischetti, after a long injury which forced him to miss 2023 with the national team.

Nicotera, the debutant Spagnolo, Zilocchi, Zambonin, Iachizzi, Zuliani, Varney, Pani are ready to take over from the bench.

“It was an intense week of work. There is great enthusiasm throughout the group for their Six Nations debut. The staff and all the players showed great commitment trying to quickly immerse themselves in new methodologies. We will face the third team of RWC 2023 in an exciting tournament, at home in an Olympic Stadium that will make its support felt. Focus on our performance. We can't wait to get on the field,” said Gonzalo Quesada.

This is the lineup that will take the field:

15 Tommaso ALLAN (Perpignan, 79 caps)

14 Ange CAPUOZZO (Stade Toulousain, 16 caps)

13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 30 caps)

12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 12 caps)

11 Monty IOANE (Lyon 25 caps)

10 Paolo GARBISI (Montpellier, 31 caps)

9 Alessandro GARBISI (Benetton Rugby, 7 caps)

8 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 16 caps)

7 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 33 caps) – cap

6 Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 52 caps)

5 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 49 caps)

4 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 36 caps)

3 Pietro CECCARELLI (Perpignan, 31 caps)

2 Gianmarco LUCCHESI (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)

1 Danilo FISCHETTI (Zebre Parma, 36 caps)

Available

16 Giacomo NICOTERA (Benetton Rugby, 18 caps)

17 Mirco SPANISH (Benetton Rugby, debutant)

18 Giosuè ZILOCCHI (Benetton Rugby, 16 caps)

19 Andrea ZAMBONIN (Zebre Parma, 3 caps)

20 Edoardo IACHIZZI (Benetton Rugby, 6 caps)

21 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)

22 Stephen VARNEY (Gloucester, 24 caps)

23 Lorenzo PANI (Zebre Parma, 5 caps)