Italy name two debutants to face Japan in Nations Championship opener / Photo: Adrian Dennis - AFP
-
New Zealander Fox birdies last hole for 'surreal' British Open win
-
Record-breaking Duckett leads England to ODI series win over India
-
Italy's Mazzoli wins US PGA Dominican Republic title
-
New Zealander Fox birdies last hole to win British Open
-
Evenepoel wins Tour stage, Vingegaard crashes out after night-time control
-
Argentina make three changes for World Cup final, Spain name same team
-
New Zealander Fox wins British Open on final hole
-
'Inhuman' testing procedures could have cost Vingegaard, says Pogacar
-
Three-team NBA trade sends Dort to Hawks, Risacher to Mavs: reports
-
Mercedes boss seeks to comfort 'disappointed' Russell amid reliability woes
-
Left knee issues will keep Ohtani off the mound for now
-
Vingegaard to undergo collarbone surgery after Tour de France crash
-
Floating igloo leaves France for polar exploration mission
-
Hamilton rues costly practice mistake for missing podium at Belgian GP
-
Young charges into British Open lead as Scheffler comes up short
-
Antonelli relieved to get 'tough win' in Belgium
-
Olympic champ Evenepoel wins Tour de France 15th stage
-
Argentines out in force as New Yorkers bid farewell to World Cup carnival
-
Kim leads British Open as Young charges into clubhouse lead
-
Calm Antonelli takes sixth win of the season with victory at Belgian GP
-
Antonelli takes sixth win of the season with victory at Belgian Grand Prix
-
Ton-up Duckett leads England to 387-3 in India ODI decider
-
Red and yellow sweep Madrid before World Cup final
-
Argentina seek glorious World Cup finale for Messi against Spain
-
Russell out of Belgian GP after colliding with Hamilton on lap one
-
Tsitsipas ends title drought in Gstaad
-
Tour de France rivals Pogacar, Vingegaard given night-time doping controls
-
MyoGlow Reviews: In-Depth Look at MyoGlow’s Benefits, and Real Results
-
EMSense Reviews - Is It Worth Trying? A Proven Foot Therapy for All
-
SlimSculpt MD Reviews: In-Depth Look at Slim Sculpt MD’s Benefits, and Real Results
-
Tour de France leader Pogacar confirms night-time doping control
-
Starbucks Korea staff form union after 'Tank Day' campaign fiasco
-
GuardHouse Camera Reviews - Is GuardHouse WatchEye Worth Trying? Find Out
-
Black Wood Tea Reviews & Complaints 2026: The Truth About the Vietnamese Brew for Men's Performance Support
-
Where can you watch the World Cup final for free? TV channels and live stream options
-
Wife says India illegally detaining hunger strike activist
-
Palestinians say Israeli settlers torch mosque, factory
-
Russia pounds Kyiv with ballistic missiles in escalating air war
-
Cat rescued from ruins of Venezuela quake offers 'ray of hope'
-
Pocket-size AI: Powerful phones star at China show
-
Sindhu wins Japan Open to end title drought
-
Sao Tome president faces party rival in polls
-
Kyiv hit with deadly strikes after attack on Russian e-commerce giant
-
US launches strikes to 'punish' Iran after troops killed
-
Skipper Sheehan urges higher level from beaten Ireland
-
World Cup moments: Viking row and minnows sparkle
-
Spain and Argentina brace for World Cup final
-
Trump to bask in World Cup final spotlight
-
Faith vs therapy: Inside the Philippine school for exorcists
-
Italy confident they can bounce back at Nations Championship
Italy name two debutants to face Japan in Nations Championship opener
Italy on Thursday named debutants Alessandro Ortombina and Malik Faissal to start against Japan in their Nations Championship opener in Tokyo as they look to build on their Six Nations success.
The Italians finished fourth in the Six Nations to match their best result since joining the competition in 2000, and also beat England for the first time.
Head coach Gonzalo Quesada has brought new blood into the squad for the inaugural Nations Championship and he has turned to flanker Ortombina and winger Faissal to face Japan.
Quesada said the Zebre Parma pair "absolutely deserve it", as he looks to unearth new talent ahead of next year's World Cup in Australia.
"I cannot play with 15, 20 players every game from last year to the World Cup because if something happens in the last few games, you find yourself really struggling having to make players start their career during a World Cup," said the Argentine coach.
"We need to arrive next year with several options per position."
There is experience elsewhere in the team, with Juan Ignacio Brex partnering Tommaso Menoncello in the centres and fly-half Paolo Garbisi alongside scrum-half Stephen Varney.
Flanker Michele Lamaro captains the team as he wins his 55th cap.
Italy face Japan on Saturday before travelling to Wellington to play New Zealand and Perth to take on Australia on successive weekends.
"We know that we have to start playing the best rugby we can and not waste time and miss opportunities," said Quesada.
"Just go to the basics and do well."
Italy stunned England 23-18 in Rome in March for their first win in the fixture.
They also beat Scotland but lost to Wales in their final game of the Six Nations to miss out on the chance of a best-ever third-place finish.
Italy (15-1):
Lorenzo Pani; Malik Faissal, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Lorenzo Cannone, Michele Lamaro (capt), Alessandro Ortombina; Andrea Zambonin, Niccolo Cannone; Marco Riccioni, Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: Gianmarco Lucchesi, Mirco Spagnolo, Muhamed Hasa, Riccardo Favretto, Ross Vintcent, Alessandro Fusco, Leonardo Marin, Tommaso Allan
T.Ward--AMWN