Alun-Wyn Jones will lead Wales in Rome © Getty Images

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Matches: Italy 15 - 20 Wales

Tournaments/Tours: Six Nations

Teams: Italy | Wales

Wales' loss to France blew the Six Nations wide open, drawing focus away from Warren Gatland's pre-tournament favourites and on to Ireland. With Ireland still on course for a Grand Slam, Wales need a big win against Italy in Rome in order to keep alive their championship hopes ahead of Ireland's visit to the Millennium Stadium on March 21.

Wales' Six Nations record in Rome shows two wins and two losses, the most recent of which came with their controversial 23-20 defeat there in 2007. With Wales looking for the winning score they won a penalty, asking referee Chris White if the had time to take a lineout before the final whistle. When white assured them that they had James Hook booted the ball into touch, only for White to blow the final whistle, losing the game for Wales. Welsh fans remember that afternoon with a mixture of anger and sadness and will want the balance redressed this weekend.

Gatland has gambled however. With his side's tournament hanging in the balance he has elected to make 10 changes, including at halfback and in the front-row against the notoriously spiky Italians. While he has been deprived of Dwayne Peel at scrum-half due to injury, Gatland has indulged in using his squad, a sure sign that he is looking to build a feeling of strength in depth amongst his players.

Lock Alun-Wyn Jones takes the captain's armband for the first time, with Ryan Jones rested from a new-look back-row. Jonathan Thomas returns at blindside, with Dafydd Jones taking over at openside. Andy Powell retains his place at No.8, but may be under threat for the tournament decider against Ireland. Despite hinting to the contrary Gatland is unlikely to leave his skipper out of a potential championship decider in a week's time, and with Jones' anonymous form on the blindside so far this tournament it may be Powell who makes way.

Gavin Henson makes his first start since March last year and partners Jamie Roberts in the centre, a pairing that Gatland has been itching to try since the autumn. Henson's ability to challenge the line and his exemplary handling should open space for the powerful Roberts, whose direct style of running could be more suited to No.13 with a pair of creative hands at No.12.

Mike Phillips and James Hook will man the halfback jerseys, and Hook must be mindful of chasing a score too early. Italy have to be given the proper respect if Wales are to take away a meaningful total from Rome and Hook must play the percentages for the opening stages at least. With Henson and Roberts in the centre and a back-three of Lee Byrne, Mark Jones and Shane Williams, Wales have enough firepower to beat Italy, but patience early on might be the key. Italy went toe-to-toe with Wales for 50 minutes at the Millennium Stadium last year before Wales' stars cut loose, and their tactics must be equally spot on this weekend.

For Italy, whose confidence must be shot after their loss to Scotland, they must attack the supposed weak links in the Wales squad. Up front, John Yapp and Rhys Thomas are competent in the tight and Yapp is a handful in the loose but neither offers the work rate of Gethin Jenkins or the Gatland-era Adam Jones. In the second-row, Luke Charteris is rangy and a solid lineout forward, but lacks the dog and physicality of Ian Gough.

With little room to manouevre in terms of selection, Italy coach Nick Mallett Italy has handed uncapped Giulio Rubini a starting berth for Saturday's clash in Rome. The Parma utility back replaces Mirco Bergamasco at number 14, with the latter shifting to centre.

Mallett has made one other change from the team which lost 26-6 against at Murrayfield, with Carlos Nieto replacing Martin Castrogiovanni in Italy's starting XV. Whether he will be the catalyst for a pack has not been as effective as previous years remains to be seen.

The Azzurri are still without Biarritz fullback Andrea Masi who has completed a three-match ban but has been ruled out by a neck injury in a further blow to their chances.

Mallett will have taken little cheer from defeat at Murrayfield with two tough games remaining against the Welsh and French. Italy's shortcomings behind the scrum, however well masked they are by the lustrous brilliance of Sergio Parisse, will continue to hamper them at this level of competition. They have a mighty pack of forwards, but other international sides know that as long as they secure parity at the set piece and in the possession stakes then they have every chance of waiting out the Italian onslaught before picking gaps in a tired defence.

Wales will be no different at the Stadio Flaminio this weekend. They have enough intelligence in their coaching team to know that an organised side can see off the early exchanges, perhaps one of the main reasons for naming this experimental side over a week ago.

Italy can attack Wales at the set-piece and deprive them of any possible lineout ball. They have the stronger scrummaging pack and will have to hope that the return of Jonathan Thomas does not have the miraculous effect on Wales' lineout that has been speculated. Powell should be marked as he was against England and France, and without Jones Wales' ball-carrying threat will be seriously diminished. Mauro Bergamasco should attack Wales on the floor and at the fringes, with Dafydd Jones, as fine a player as he is, not the arch scavenger like Martyn Williams.

Italy: Andrea Marcato (Benetton Treviso), Giulio Rubini (Parma), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais), Matteo Pratichetti (Calvisano), Luke McLean (Calvisano), Paul Griffen (Calvisano), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais), Alessandro Zanni (Calvisano), Marco Bortolami (Gloucester), Santiago Dellape (Toulon), Carlos Nieto (Gloucester), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Calvisano), Salavatore Perugini (Toulouse).

Replacements: Franco Sbaraglini (Benetton Treviso), Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester), Carlo Antonio Del Fava (Ulster), Josh Sole (Viadana), Pablo Canavosio (Viadana), Luciano Orquera (Brive), Roberto Quartaroli (Cariparma).

Wales: Lee Byrne (Ospreys); Mark Jones (Scarlets), Jason Roberts (Cardiff Blues), Gavin Henson (Ospreys), Shane Williams (Ospreys); James Hook (Ospreys), Dwayne Peel (Sale Sharks); John Yapp (Cardiff Blues), Huw Bennett (Ospreys), Rhys Thomas (Newport Gwent Dragons), Luke Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), Alun-Wyn Jones (Ospreys, capt), Jonathan Thomas (Ospreys), Dafydd Jones (Scarlets), Andy Powell (Cardiff Blues)

Replacements: Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Bradley Davies (Cardiff Blues), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Ospreys), Stephen Jones (Scarlets), Tom Shanklin (Cardiff Blues)

Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)

Assistant referees: Dave Pearson (England), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television Match Official: Geoff Warren (England)