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Saturday, 14 February 2015

England v Italy - Preview


England will be looking to build on their impressive Six Nations start when they host Italy at Twickenham on Saturday.

England silenced Cardiff with an impressive second-half display to beat Wales 21-16 at the Millennium Stadium in their Championship opener last Friday.
Scott Quinnell gives his prediction on the 6 Nations clash between England and Italy

Head coach Stuart Lancaster has kept the faith in the side who beat Wales by naming the same 23 for the visit of the Azzurri.

Jonathan Joseph will make his Twickenham debut as he resumes his promising centre partnership outside Luther Burrell with George Ford once again pulling the strings at fly-half.

Tighthead prop Dan Cole is given another chance to gain match fitness after a year interrupted by neck and foot problems, while on the other side of the scrum Joe Marler continues to be first choice loosehead.

England backs coach Andy Farrell has been impressed with how the young players have adapted to the international game

Italy coach Jacques Brunel has made four changes to his team for Saturday’s clash plus two further positional changes.

Veteran lock Marco Bortolami extends his caps record for Italy to 111, replacing Newcastle's Josh Furno in the second row.

Another Azzurri stalwart, flanker Mauro Bergamasco will pick up his 101st cap in place of Alessandro Zanni, who partially tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in last week’s 26-3 defeat to Ireland in Rome and has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Sale Sharks prop Alberto De Marchi, who started on the bench last week, swaps places with Matias Aguero at loosehead in the other change in the forwards.

Michele Campagnaro will miss the rest of the Six Nations after injuring his left knee, so Luca Morisi has moved out one spot to fill the vacant outside centre position. Wasps star Andrea Masi will be at inside centre, switching from full-back. Sale's Luke McLean moves to No 15 from the left wing.

Giovambattista Venditti, who started on the bench in Rome, comes on to the left wing.

England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Joe Marler, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Dave Attwood, 5 George Kruis, 6 James Haskell, 7 Chris Robshaw (c), 8 Billy Vunipola,

Replacements: 16 Tom Youngs, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Kieran Brookes, 19 Nick Easter, 20 Tom Croft, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Danny Cipriani, 23 Billy Twelvetrees.

Italy: 15 Luke McLean, 14 Leonardo Sarto, 13 Luca Morisi, 12 Andrea Masi, 11 Giovambattista Venditti, 10 Kelly Haimona, 9 Edoardo Gori, 1 Alberto De Marchi, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 4 George Fabio Biagi, 5 Marco Bortolami, 6 Mauro Bergamasco, 7 Francesco Minto, 8 Sergio Parisse (c).

Replacements: 16 Andrea Manici, 17 Matias Aguero, 18 Dario Chistolini, 19 Joshua Furno, 20 Samuela Vunisa, 21 Guglielmo Palazzani, 22 Tommaso Allan, 23 Giulio Bisegni.


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