Salvatore Perugini, the Italy veteran, admits defeat in Paris today is more than likely, but is confident the Azzurri will still "try to pull off something" against France in their penultimate Six Nations match.
France are overwhelming favourites to comfortably see off Italy and maintain their bid for the Grand Slam.
However, having defeated Scotland in their last game and given England a scare before slipping to a narrow defeat, Italy have proved they are no pushovers.
Perugini said they are not turning up at the Stade de France purely to make up the numbers and was confident the result would not be a repeat of last year's 50-8 humili- ation.
"Everything's going well," said the Bayonne prop, who will win his 70th cap. "We're confident. The first match against Ireland was difficult, the next ones against England and Scotland went well.
"We're facing the match against France with the same determination. Last year we conceded two tries in five minutes at the end of the first half hour that killed the match.
"The aim is to remain in the match as long as possible. We're going to Paris to try to pull off something, give 100 per cent."
Marc Lievremont, the France coach, described Italy's performances in the championship thus far as "like a commando operation", and has warned his France team to be on their guard.
"We respect this team," he said. "We know they have the potential to frustrate us. It's a top-level match which we have to prepare for with seriousness.
"Italy are a great team, they troubled Ireland, more than troubled England and beat Scotland."
* With agencies
France v Italy, 6.30pm, Aljazeera Sport +3
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Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you
Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight, Wednesday, BeIN Sports
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
SPECS
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The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
Kill%20
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