Italy make five changes to face Argentina after 66-7 humiliation by South Africa

Gonzalo Quesada has named five changes to Italy’s starting XV for Saturday’s Nations Championship fixture against Argentina in Genoa, as the Azzurri look to respond to a 66-7 demolition by South Africa last weekend that left them trailing 45-0 at half-time in Turin.

Tommaso Allan returns at full-back in one of the headline selections, slotting into the back three alongside Ange Capuozzo and Monty Ioane. Paolo Odogwu and Leonardo Marin retain their midfield partnership, while Stephen Varney comes in at scrum-half to partner Paolo Garbisi, replacing Alessandro Fusco.

The pack has also been reorganised. Danilo Fischetti is restored at loosehead, with captain Giacomo Nicotera and Simone Ferrari completing the front row. Ross Vintcent and Manuel Zuliani join Lorenzo Cannone in the back row, while Federico Ruzza and Niccolò Cannone continue together in the second row.

Among the replacements, Federico Mori earns a recall to the matchday squad for the first time in more than two years, with the Bayonne back joining a bench that also retains Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi, who featured against the Springboks.

Despite the scale of the defeat in Turin — nine tries conceded in total — Italy did manage to make the second half more competitive, avoiding a complete shutout by scoring a consolation try.

Saturday’s game is the 25th meeting between Italy and Argentina, and the 13th to be played on Italian soil. The Azzurri will complete the regular phase of the Nations Championship the following weekend against Fiji in Udine.

Italy XV: 15 Tommaso Allan, 14 Ange Capuozzo, 13 Paolo Odogwu, 12 Leonardo Marin, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney; 1 Danilo Fischetti, 2 Giacomo Nicotera (c), 3 Simone Ferrari, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 5 Federico Ruzza, 6 Ross Vintcent, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 8 Lorenzo Cannone.

Replacements: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Muhamed Hasa, 18 Marco Riccioni, 19 Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi, 20 Alessandro Ortombina, 21 Samuele Locatelli, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Federico Mori.