Italy make five changes for Wales encounter

Italy head coach Franco Smith has made five changes to the starting line-up for the fourth round of Six Nations clash against Wales.

Mattia Bellini comes at right wing replacing Luca Sperandio while Stephen Varney returns at scrum half after recovering from injury that forced him to miss the game against Ireland.

Danilo Fischetti and Giosuè Zilocchi return to front row as preferred props replacing Andrea Lovotti and Marco Riccioni respectively.

The final change sees Niccolo Cannone returning to second row in the place of Marco Lazzaroni and will partner with David Sisi.

Italy languish at the bottom of the table after losing all their three matches this year with their last Six Nations victory coming in 2015.

Italy starting XV: 15 Jacopo Trulla, 14 Mattia Bellini, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Carlo Canna, 11 Montanna Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Michele Lamaro, 7 Johan Meyer, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 David Sisi, 4 Niccolo Cannone, 3 Giosuè Zilocchi, 2 Luca Bigi (c), 1 Danilo Fischetti

Reserves: 16 Oliviero Fabiani, 17 Andrea Lovotti, 18 Marco Riccioni, 19 Marco Lazzaroni, 20 Maxime Mbanda, 21 Marcello Violi, 22 Federico Mori, 23 Edoardo Padovani