The party sees the return from injury of wing Ezio Galon, flanker Maurizio Zaffiri and number eight Alessandro Zanni, while Matteo Pratichetti returns to the Under-21s, with Aaron Persico and Silvio Orlando also dropping out.

Italy, who produced combative displays despite losing their opening two matches against Ireland and England, will meet France on February 25 in Paris.

Meanwhile, the Italian rugby federation (FIR) has revealed the final RBS 6 Nations match - against Scotland at the Flaminio Stadium on March 18 - is already a sell-out.

Italy squad: Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais), Marco Bortolami (Narbonne), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), Pablo Canavosio (Calvisano), Martin Castrogiovanni (Calvisano), Carlo-Antonio Del Fava (Bourgoin), Santiago Dellape (Agen), Carlo Festuccia (Gran Parma), Ezio Galon (Parma), Paul Griffen (Calvisano), Andrea Lo Cicero (LAquila), Carlos Nieto (Viadana), Ludovico Nitoglia (Calvisano), Fabio Ongaro (Benetton Treviso), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais), Salvatore Perugini (Calvisano), Ramiro Pez (Perpignan), Simon Picone (Benetton Treviso), Josh Sole (Viadana), Cristian Stoica (Montpellier), Rima Wakarua (Gran Parma), Maurizio Zaffiri (Calvisano), Alessandro Zanni (Calvisano).