Italy make five changes for Six Nations finale against Wales

Italy coach Jacques Brunel has made five changes to his injury-hit side ahead of the trip to Wales for the final Six Nations match and his last game in charge.

Brunel keeps the spine of the team which lost 58-15 to Ireland last week but brings in Andrea Pratichetti for Michele Campagnaro, who was injured at the Aviva Stadium along with Edoardo Padovani and George Biagi.

Fly-half Tommaso Allan returns from injury and replaces Padovani for his first appearance of the year, while locks Quintin Geldenhuys and Valerio Bernabo come into the side instead of Biagi and Marco Fuser, who has the flu.

Veteran prop Martin Castrogiovanni returns from suspension to win a record 119th cap, with captain Sergio Parisse also achieving that feat as he lines up alongside Alessandro Zanni and Francesco Minto in a third row which has been unchanged the entire tournament.

"The spine of the team is not different to that which had played this tournament," Brunel said. "Tommaso [Allan] knows well our way of playing, he's returning from a long injury but when he returned in the PROD2 with Perpignan he immediately showed he was in good shape.

"Wales, like Ireland, is capable of playing with great effectiveness. We cannot concede them time and space like we did in Dublin. It will be crucial to slow down their play and maintain the right attitude for the whole 80 minutes."

Italy still has a number of other regulars sidelined by injuries, including Andrea Masi, Simone Favaro, Michele Rizzo, Luca Morisi and Andrea Manici

Italy has yet to win a match in a disappointing tournament for the Azzurri and Brunel, who is ending a tenure of nearly five years.

Italy team to face Wales

15: David Odiete, 14: Leonardo Sarto, 13: Andrea Pratichetti, 12: Gonzalo Garcia, 11: Mattia Bellini, 10: Tommaso Allan, 9: Guglielmo Palazzani; 8: Sergio Parisse (captain), 7: Alessandro Zanni, 6: Francesco Minto, 5: Valerio Bernabo, 4: Quintin Geldenhuys, 3: Martin Castrogiovanni, 2: Davide Giazzon, 1: Andrea Lovotti

Substitutes:

16: Oliviero Fabiani, 17: Matteo Zanusso, 18: Dario Chistolini, 19: Jacopo Sarto, 20: Abraham Steyn, 21:Alberto Lucchese, 22: Kelly Haimona, 23: Luke McLean