Alessandro Zanni back in the Italy team for Rome showdown with England

Alessandro Zanni will win his 100th cap for Italy on Sunday after being named in the team who will face England in Rome.

The 34-year-old is back in the line-up for the first time since March 2016, having spent much of the interim out due to injury.

And, having spent much of his career in the back row, Zanni will pack down at lock this weekend.

He is one of seven changes made by coach Conor O' Shea to the team who lost 35-6 to South Africa in Padua last November.

Tommaso Allan returns at fly-half after injury kept him out of the last three internationals, and there are starting berths for veterans Tommaso Benvenuti at wing and hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini.

Sunday's team includes seven players who will be making their first Six Nations appearance, including Matteo Minozzi at fullback, the centre pairing of Tommaso Boni and Tommaso Castello, youthful flankers Renato Giammarioli and Sebastian Negri, plus New Zealand-born lock Dean Budd and Simone Ferrari in the front row.

Six Nations title holders England have won all 23 of their previous meetings with Italy, averaging 40 points a game.

But they had something of a scare at Twickenham last year, when they struggled to deal with the Italians surprise no-ruck tactics, before coming from behind at half-time to triumph 36-15.

Italy have picked up the wooden spoon 12 times in the 18 years since the tournament was expanded to become the Six Nations.

Italy team to play England: 15 Matteo Minozzi, 14 Tommaso Benvenuti, 13 Tommaso Boni, 12 Tommaso Castello, 11 Mattia Bellini, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Marcello Violi, 1 Andrea Lovotti, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3 Simone Ferrari, 4 Alessandro Zanni, 5 Dean Budd, 6 Sebastian Negri, 7 Renato Giammarioli, 8 Sergio Parisse (captain)

Replacements: 16 Luca Bigi, 17 Nicola Quaglio, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 George Biagi, 20 Maxime Mbanda, 21 Edoardo Gori, 22 Carlo Canna, 23- Jayden Hayward.