France coach Marc Lievremont is under huge pressure to deliver in Rome © Getty Images

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Matches: Italy 8 - 50 France

Players/Officials: Marc Lievremont | Nick Mallett | Sergio Parisse

Tournaments/Tours: Six Nations

Teams: France | Italy

Marc Lievremont's France travel to face Italy in Rome this weekend with his selection policy and leadership coming under heavy scrutiny. After his side capitulated against England after their best display since the 2007 Rugby World Cup quarter-final win over the All Blacks in defeating Wales, the knives are out for the France boss.

He has again decided to make changes to his side for the game, with Damien Traille slotting in at fullback, Florian Fritz replacing Mathieu Bastareaud in the centre and Julien Bonnaire and Fabien Barcella coming in to the pack. Even a huge win will not lessen he criticism of Lievremont in certain quarters, France having produced far too many weak performances considering their excellent squad.

In contrast, Italy coach Nick Mallett has a huge task on his hands with a weak Italy squad. Aside from the awesome Sergio Parisse and the ever-reliable Bergamasco brothers Mallett has been working with a scratch side this tournament. After an improved performance during their 20-15 loss to Wales Mallett will be hoping to catch a France side that is currently low on confidence off guard. The South African has stuck with the side that ran Wales close, the excellent front-row of Salvatore Perugini, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Carlos Nieto given another chance to inflict some damage.

With Italy almost certainly consigned to consecutive Wooden Spoons they will be hoping for a display to match their last-gasp win over Scotland last season, lifting their passionate support and securing a historic first Six Nations win over the French.

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

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)

France: Damien Traille (Biarritz); Maxime Medard, Florian Fritz, Yannick Jauzion, Cedric Heymans (all Toulouse); Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Morgan Parra (Bourgoin); Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Dimitri Szarzewski, Sylvain Marconnet (both Stade Francais), Lionel Nallet (Castres, capt), Sebastien Chabal (Sale), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont-Auvergne), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz).

Replacements: William Servat (Toulouse), Thomas Domingo (Clermont-Auvergne), Jerome Thion (Biarritz), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier), Frederic Michalak (Toulouse), Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Francais), Julien Malzieu (Clermont-Auvergne)