Date: Sunday, 9 March
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
BBC Coverage: Live on BBC One, BBCi, Radio 5 Live and BBC Sport website (video UK users only)
France go into Sunday's RBS Six Nations clash with Italy knowing that Cricket: England victory over NZ ...
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Italy-Libya in immigration deal ... anything other than victory will end their hopes of claiming the title.
Coach Marc Lievremont has turned to some familiar faces with Jerome Thion, Dimitri Yachvili and Yannick Jauzion all returning to the side.
But Lievremont has also stuck with his chop-and-change selection policy with nine changes to his starting XV.
Italy are still seeking their first win of this year's tournament.
New Italy coach Nick Mallet has made four changes for the trip to Paris, but Andrea Masi continues at fly-half.
Marco Bortolami returns at lock, while Alessandro Zanni replaces the suspended flanker Mauro Bergamasco.
Fit-again Kaine Robertson comes back in for Alberto Sgarbi on the wing and prop Andrea Lo Cicero replaces Salvatore Perugini.
With France impressing in patches over the course of the championship, Lievremont is hoping the return of some key names can help the team get back to winning ways after the defeat by England.
"We are working on a group of players and a major success of our campaign is the strength of the spirit of this group," he said.
"The return of some experienced players like Jerome Thion, Dimitri Yachvili and Yannick Jauzion and the arrival of five newcomers kept everybody standing on their toes because they all want to prove their worth.
"The concentration and involvement of all the players is of paramount importance before a game like this because a lot of people think that a win with a wide margin is mandatory."
Aurelien Rougerie, Francois Trinh-Duc, Dimitri Szarzewski, Nicolas Mas, captain Lionel Nallet and Louis Picamoles keep their places for Sunday's game but it is all change elsewhere.
Full-back Anthony Floch will make his first start, while the uncapped hooker Guillem Guirado and scrum-half Julien Tomas are included among the replacements.
Thion steps in to replace injured lock Pascal Pape and scrum-half Yachvili and flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo are promoted to the starting XV.
The pressure is on France to perform after their 24-13 defeat to England and Lievremont knows a first Six Nations defeat by Italy would end his side's interest in the title.
"We are not yet into that kind of calculation but it's obvious that a win in the championship would be important and that if we defeat Italy we'll have something to play for at the Millennium Stadium," he said.
Italy have just pride to play for having lost all three of their games in the tournament so far.
"It's obviously going to be a very difficult game for Italy against France, who have a lot of good players," said Mallett.
"But we have watched the videos and I'm sure my players will do much better than the second half against Wales."
France: Anthony Floch, Aurelien Rougerie, Yannick Jauzion, Yann David, Julien Malzieu, Francois Trinh-Duc, Dimitri Yachvili; Fabien Barcella, Dimitri Szarzewski, Nicolas Mas, Lionel Nallet (capt), Jerome Thion, Ibrahim Diarra, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Louis Picamoles.
Replacements: Guilhem Guirado, Jean-Baptiste Poux, Arnaud Mela, Julien Bonnaire, Julien Tomas, Damien Traille, Vincent Clerc.
Italy: Andrea Marcato, Kaine Robertson, Gonzalo Canale, Mirco Bergamasco, Ezio Galon; Andrea Masi, Simon Picone; Andrea Lo Cicero, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Martin Castrogiovanni, Carlo Del Fava, Marco Bortolami, Josh Sole, Alessandro Zanni, Sergio Parisse (capt).
Replacements: Fabio Ongaro, Carlos Nieto, Salvatore Perugini, Jacobus Erasmus, Pietro Travagli, Enrico Patrizio, lberto Sgarbi.
(BBC)
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