Italy v England preview: Team news, kick-off time, line-ups and stats for the Six Nations clash - Ruck

Italy v England preview: Team news, kick-off time, line-ups and stats for the Six Nations clash

  • Italy host England in the Six Nations on Sunday: 14:00 kick-off
  • Uncapped Maro Itoje may make his first appearance for the men in white from the bench
  • Lock Courtney Lawes, loosehead prop Mako Vunipola and scrum-half Ben Youngs come in for Joe Launchbury, Joe Marler and Danny Care respectively
  • England won 52-11 the last time they were in Rome
Despite differing results, positives were taken from both Italy and England’s opening Six Nations matches as they prepare to face off in Rome this Sunday.

England coach Eddie Jones has made three changes to his starting XVpromoting Courtney Lawes, Mako Vunipola and Ben Youngs to his run-on side in Rome.

Lawes replaces Joe Launchbury in the second row, Vunipola has been chosen ahead of Joe Marler at loosehead prop and Youngs is preferred to Danny Care at scrum-half for the trip to the Stadio Olimpico.

Saracens forward Maro Itoje is also in line to make his England debut after he was named on the bench

Meanwhile, Italy have made one change ahead of Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations meeting with England in Rome, with Luke McLean coming into the starting XV.

The Australia-born fly-half replaces David Odiete after the Mogliano wing suffered a sprained ankle during last weekend’s 23-21 defeat to France.

The Azzurri also have potential debutants in Treviso flanker Abraham Steyn and Zebre fly-half Edoardo Padovani, who are named among the replacements.


PLAYERS TO WATCH
Italy: Michele Campagnaro

England: Jack Nowell

KEY BATTLE

KEYBATTLES-3


PREVIOUS MEETINGS
2015: England won 47-17 at Twickenham
2014: England won 52-11 in Rome
2013: England won 18-11 at Twickenham
2012: England won 19-15 in Rome
2011: England won 59-13 at Twickenham
2010: England won 17-12 in Rome
2009: England won 36-11 at Twickenham
2008: England won 23-19 in Rome
2007: England won 20-7 at Twickenham
2006: England won 31-16 in Rome

LINE-UPS

Italy: 15 Luke McLean, 14 Leonardo Sarto, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Gonzalo Garcia, 11 Mattia Bellini, 10 Carlo Canna, 9 Edoardo Gori, 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Alessandro Zanni, 6 Francesco Minto, 5 Marco Fuser, 4 George Fabio Biagi, 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 2 Ornel Gega, 1 Andrea Lovotti
Replacements: 16 Davide Giazzon, 17 Matteo Zanusso, 18 Martin Castrogiovanni, 19 Valerio Bernabo, 20 Andries van Schalkwyk, 21 Guglielmo Palazzani, 22 Edoardo Padovani, 23 Andrea Pratichetti

England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jack Nowell, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 James Haskell, 6 Chris Robshaw, 5 George Kruis, 4 Courtney Lawes, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley (c), 1 Mako Vunipola
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Maro Itoje, 21 Jack Clifford, 22 Danny Care, 23 Alex Goode


Date: Sunday, February 14
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Kick-off: 15:00 local (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)