The Llanelli captain will make his first start in a Welsh jersey for 16 months when his country kick off their latest campaign against the Azzurri.

"It has been a bit of a wait, but through injury more than anything else," said Davies, one of six changes from the Welsh side beaten by New Zealand last November.

Davies, who made his debut against Italy in a friendly in 1996, added: "I have always been upbeat about my ability as a player.

"You have either got the ability or you haven't. It is going to be a tough challenge against Italy - but we know what to expect.

"I want to perform as well as I can. With success at club level comes international honours - and once you get there then you want to stay there.

"The boys are hungry for a win, and there is no reason why we can't go out there and start things off with a bang. It is a big year for Wales.

"We expect Italy to be physical. But we are also expecting them to throw the ball around a bit. We've also got a few surprises in store for them, though."