Italy head coach Kieran Crowley has made three changes to his starting XV for Sunday’s Six Nations meeting with Ireland in Dublin.
The Azzurri travel to the Aviva Stadium seeking to end a run of 34 consecutive defeats in the tournament following their 33-0 loss to England in round two.
Pierre Bruno will make his Six Nations debut on the right wing, while centre Leonardo Marin has been handed his maiden championship start, with Giovanni Pettinelli coming in at blindside flanker.
Benetton pair Marco Zanon and Braam Steyn move to the bench. Bordeaux wing Federico Mori drops out of the matchday squad.
Italy began the competition with a 37-10 loss to France in Paris, before being heavily beaten by Eddie Jones’ side in Rome last time out.
“We have prepared the next meeting by focusing on the aspects of the game that did not satisfy us in the first two games,” said Crowley, according to the Italian Rugby Federation’s website.
“We face the next commitment with energy and the desire to improve. It will be a physically tough match against one of the strongest teams in the world.”
— Italrugby (@Federugby) February 25, 2022
Italy team to play Ireland
Forwards: 1 Danilo Fischetti (Zebre Parma), 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi (Benetton Rugby), 3 Pietro Ceccarelli (Brive), 4 Niccolò Cannone (Benetton Rugby), 5 Federico Ruzza (Benetton Rugby), 6 Giovanni Pettinelli (Benetton Rugby), 7 Michele Lamaro (CAPTAIN, Benetton Rugby), 8 Toa Halafihi (Benetton Rugby)
Backs: 9 Stephen Varney (Gloucester Rugby), 10 Paolo Garbisi (Montpellier), 11 Montanna Ioane (Benetton Rugby), 12 Leonardo Marin (Benetton Rugby), 13 Juan Ignacio Brex (Benetton Rugby), 14 Pierre Bruno (Zebre Parma), 15 Edoardo Padovani (Benetton Rugby)
Replacements: 16 Epalahame Faiva (Benetton Rugby), 17 Ivan Nemer (Benetton Rugby), 18 Tiziano Pasquali (Benetton Rugby), 19 David Sisi (Zebre Parma), 20 Manuel Zuliani (Benetton Rugby), 21 Braam Steyn (Benetton Rugby), 22 Alessandro Fusco (Zebre Parma), 23 Marco Zanon (Benetton Rugby)