Star Capuozzo at wing in Quesada's Italy debut againt England

Ange Capuozzo will start on the right wing in Italy's Six Nations opener with England in Rome this weekend, as Gonzalo Quesada makes his debut as Azzurri coach.

Toulouse star Capuozzo has been shifted from full-back to make way for Perpignan playmaker Tommaso Allan, with Lyon's Monty Ioane on the left flank.

There are a host of familiar faces from the team which under Quesada's predecessor Kieran Crowley made a mark in international rugby with an ambitious playing style but flopped at last year's World Cup.

Those include Montpellier fly-half Paolo Garbisi who plays alongside his scrum-half brother Alessandro, with Gloucester's Stephen Varney on the bench.

Italy lost all five of their matches at last year's Six Nations, collecting their eighth consecutive wooden spoon.

Italy (15-1)

Tommaso Allan; Ange Capuozzo, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Alessandro Garbisi; Lorenzo Cannone, Michele Lamaro (capt), Sebastian Negri; Federico Ruzza, Niccolo Cannone; Pietro Ceccarelli, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Danilo Fischetti

Replacements:

Giacomo Nicotera, Mirco Spagnolo, Giosue Zilocchi Andrea Zambonin, Edoardo Iachizzi, Manuel Zuliani, Stephen Varney, Lorenzo Pani

Coach: Gonzalo Quesada (ARG)