Rugby-Capuozzo back in Italian side to take on France


Feb 20 (Reuters) - Italy fullback ⁠Ange Capuozzo has returned from injury in the ⁠only change to the side for the Six Nations ‌clash against France in Lille on Sunday.

Capuozzo fractured his finger playing for Toulouse in the French league in late December and missed the opening ​two matches of the competition against ⁠Scotland and Ireland.

But the ⁠26-year-old, who was born in France, has been brought back and ⁠replaces ‌Lorenzo Pani in the side that lost 20-13 to Ireland in Dublin last weekend.

Centre Juan Ignacio ⁠Brex has not rejoined the team after asking ​to be released ‌from the squad for last weekend's Ireland trip for ⁠undisclosed personal ​reasons and so coach Gonzalo Quesada, who names his side on Friday, sticks with the centre pairing of Leonardo Marin and ⁠Tommaso Menoncello.

The forward pack remains unchanged ​from the clash against Ireland but there are two changes on the bench, which maintains a split of six forwards and ⁠two backs. Hooker Pablo Dimcheff replaces Tommaso di Bartolomeo while prop Giosue Zilocchi comes into the side for Muhamed Hasa.

Team: 15-Ange Capuozzo 14-Louis Lynagh, 13-Tommaso Menoncello, 12-Leonardo Marin, 11-Monty Ioane, ​10-Paolo Garbisi, 9-Alessandro Fusco, 8-Lorenzo Cannone, ⁠7-Manuel Zuliani, 6-Michele Lamaro (captain), 5-Andrea Zambonin, 4-Niccolo Cannone, 3-Simone Ferrari, ​2-Giacomo Nicotera, 1-Danilo Fischetti

Replacements: 16-Pablo Dimcheff, ‌17-Mirco Spagnolo, 18-Giosue Zilocchi, 19-Federico Ruzza, ​20-Riccardo Favretto, 21-David Odiase, 22-Alessandro Garbisi, 23-Paolo Odogwu.

(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by xx)

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