Azzurri calls up Kiwi for season opener

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Former Hurricanes back row forward Toa Halafihi will make his Italy debut in this weekend's Six Nations trip to France.

Halafihi, 28, qualifies for the Azzurri on residency grounds after joining Treviso in 2018.

The No.8, originally from Gisborne on New Zealand's North Island, benefits from injuries to the likes of Jake Polledri and Johan Meyer as well as Sergio Parisse's potential return later in the tournament.

His club teammate and wing Tommaso Menoncello is another uncapped player named in Kieran Crowley's starting lineup for Sunday's fixture.

Two further Treviso squad members in 21-year-old flank Manuel Zuliani and teenage flyhalf Leonardo Marin are set to win their first caps from the bench.

"The work done in these weeks of preparation, towards the start of the Six Nations, has been intense and of quality," Crowley said in a FIR statement.

"There is a lot of energy in the group and awareness of taking the field in one of the most important tournaments in the world of rugby and sport," he added.

Earlier on Friday, France head coach Fabien Galthie told AFP he had tested positive for COVID-19 and team manager Raphael Ibanez will take hands on charge of the team for the game in Paris.

Italy: 15 Edoardo Padovani, 14 Tommaso Menoncello, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Marco Zanon, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Toa Halafihi, 7 Michele Lamaro (captain), 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolo Cannone, 3 Tiziano Pasquali, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Danilo Fischetti.

Replacements: 16 Epalahame Faiva, 17 Ivan Nemer, 18 Giosue Zilocchi, 19 Marco Fuser, 20 Giovanni Pettinelli, 21 Manuel Zuliani, 22 Callum Braley, 23 Leonardo Marin.

Date: Sunday, February 6

Venue: Stade de France, Paris

Kick-off: 16.00 (15.00 GMT)

Referee: Mike Adamson

Assistant referees: Nika Amashukeli, Damon Murphy

TMO: Brett Cronan