Italy unleash exciting backline to face Wallabies
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada has announced his matchday squad to face Australia on Saturday at the Bluenergy Stadium.
It will be the 22nd meeting between the two teams, the fourteenth in Italy, with the last precedent smiling on the Azzurri with a narrow 28-27 victory in Florence in November 2022.
The starting line-up consists of Ange Capuozzo, Louis Lynagh, and Monty Ioane.
The centre pairing consists of Tommaso Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex, who wins his third cap as Italy captain.
Paolo Garbisi and Stephen Varney combine as the halfback combination.
Lorenzo Cannone will wear the No.8 jersey in the back row, with Manuel Zuliani and Vintcent completing the loose trio.
Andrea Zambonin and Niccolò Cannone will start in the second row, while Simone Ferrari, Giacomo Nicotera, and Danilo Fischetti will take the field in the front row.
On the replacements bench, Tommaso Di Bartolomeo is making his first appearance in Italy along with Mirco Spagnolo, Marco Riccioni, Federico Ruzza, Alessandro Izekor, Martin Page-Relo, Tommaso Allan and Leonardo Marin.
Michele Lamaro will be unavailable for the match against Australia.
He suffered a muscle injury to his right thigh in training that will prevent him from playing on Saturday in Udine.
The player has returned to Treviso, and his condition will be monitored by the national team’s medical staff, in collaboration with Benetton, who have developed a specific recovery plan aimed at his return to the field as quickly as possible.
Italy: 15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Louis Lynach, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Ross Vintcent, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: 16 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Marco Riccioni, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Alessandro Izekor, 21 Martin Page-Relo, 22 Tommaso Allan, 23 Leonardo Marin
Date: Saturday, November 8
Venue: Bluenergy Stadium, Udine
Kick-off: 18.40 (04.40 AEDT, Sunday, November 9; 17.40 GMT)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Adam Leal (England), George Selwood (England)
TMO: Dan Jones (England)