SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP/Italy v Wales: Wales go into the Six Nations Championship with fresher faces looking for their first win on the opening weekend since 1997. There are only two survivors from the team that lost in Dublin in last year's curtain-raiser and one of those, outhalf Iestyn Harris, is playing only because of an injury to Stephen Jones.

Rob Howley and Scott Quinnell have joined Scott Gibbs in international retirement and the Wales coach, Steve Hansen, who took over from Graham Henry after the Dublin debacle, has cast aside favoured players such as Dafydd James, Chris Wyatt, Nathan Budgett and Craig Quinnell in favour of emerging talent who owe allegiance to him.

Four players, the scrumhalf Dwayne Peel, hooker Mefin Davies, lock Robert Sidoli and flanker Michael Owen, start their first championship match, and lock Steve Williams, the last remaining team member capped in the amateur era, has been recalled, along with the centre Leigh Davies.

"There are a lot of new faces in the squad but morale has never been higher," said prop Iestyn Thomas. "We are all in this together and while we might not have the names we had in the past, everyone in this side will play for each other."

It is four years since Wales gave England a game, they have been thrashed by Ireland in their past two meetings and last defeated France at home in 1996.

"People are saying that the championship decider is being played on the opening round because France are at Twickenham," said Hansen. "They can think what they want, but the Six Nations and the game of rugby need the likes of Wales, Scotland and Italy to front up and challenge the rest. Ireland have got it pretty much right, but we need to show over the next seven weeks that our level of performance has improved on last year."

Just as Wales view today's encounter as the one they are most likely to win, so do their hosts. Italy defeated Scotland in their Six Nations bow three years ago but have lost all 14 games since, and the International Rugby Board's decision to send to the sin-bin players who prevent quick release at the breakdown is bad news for a side whose game plan has been based, by necessity, on trying to stop the other team playing.

Coach John Kirwan wants Italy to attack more, though deploying Mauro Bergamasco, one of the outstanding loose forwards in the championship in the past two years, on the wing will turn out to be inspired only if his forwards win - and retain - their share of possession.

Kirwan has gone back to the 36-year-old outhalf Diego Dominguez after a reported falling out last year. Italy need his experience and goal-kicking prowess, but not his mood swings.

"I want us to win one game. Just one game," said Kirwan. "That will give the country a massive boost and kick-start people's interest in the sport."

• Guardian Service