Same again for Azzurri

Italy coach Nick Mallett has made no changes to the starting XV that lost to Wales for Saturday’s final RBS 6 Nations game against France.

The Azzurri go into this weekend’s encounter at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico looking for their first victory of the tournament after losing their first four games against England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Mallett’s men put in an improved performance in last Saturday’s 20-15 defeat to Wales and will be looking to keep up their progress against Les Bleus.

Italy had hoped to recover Andrea Masi, who missed the previous two games, but the Biarritz full-back has failed to shake off a neck injury.

Italy team to face France in the RBS 6 Nations at the Stadio Flaminio on Saturday, March 21 (kick-off 2.15pm local time):

Andrea Marcato (Benetton Treviso); Giulio Rubini (Parma), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont-Aubergne), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais), Matteo Pratichetti (Calvisano); Luke McLean (Calvisano), Paul Griffen (Calvisano); Salvatore Perugini (Stade Toulousain), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Calvisano), Carlos Nieto (Goucester), Santiago Dellape (Toulon), Marco Bortolami (Gloucester), Alessandro Zanni (Calvisano), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais).

Replacements: Franco Sbaraglini (Benetton Treviso), Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester), Carlo Antonio Del Fava (Ulster), Josh Sole (Viadana), Pablo Canavosio (Viadana), Luciano Orquera (Brive), Roberto Quartaroli (Cariparma).