Italy are hoping to record one of the great Rugby World Cup upsets this evening, as they take on the All Blacks in a crucial Pool A match. Italy are yet to play expected pool winners France, with this match going a long way to decide who will join Les Bleus in the quarter-finals.
Italy Head Coach Kieran Crowley won the 1987 Rugby World Cup as part of the All Blacks squad, and would like nothing more than to hand New Zealand their first ever pool stage elimination. Crowley has made three changes from the side that recorded the 38-17 win over Uruguay, with Harlequins’ lock Dino Lamb, Gloucester scrum-half Stephen Varney and former London Irish centre Luca Morisi joining the fray.
Niccolo Canone drops to the bench for the returning Lamb, with Alessandro Garbisi and Lorenzo Pani not able to find a space in Crowley’s match-day 23. Crowley has re-shuffled his back-line, with Tomasso Allan back at fullback, as Paolo Garbisi moves up from the centres to fly half. Allan has certainly brought his shooting boots to the Rugby World Cup, having successfully all kicked 13 attempts at the posts.
Allan needs just five points against the All Blacks to surpass Italian great Diego Dominguez, and become the Azzurri’s record points scorer at the Rugby World Cup. Italy are expected to keep the score-board ticking over with Allan’s efforts from the boot, as no player in Crowley’s match day side has ever scored a try against New Zealand.
However, this could all well change tonight, as the action gets underway with a 20:00 kick-off in Lyon.
ITALY TEAM TO PLAY NEW ZEALAND – 2023 RUGBY WORLD CUP
15. Tommaso Allan
14. Ange Capuozzo
13. Juan Ignacio Brex
12. Luca Morisi
11. Montanna Ioane
10. Paolo Garbisi
9. Stephen Varney
1 Danilo Fischetti
2 Giacomo Nicotera
3 Marco Riccioni
4 Dino Lamb
5 Federico Ruzza
6 Sebastian Negri
7 Michele Lamaro (C)
8 Lorenzo Cannone
Replacements
16. Hame Faiva
17. Ivan Nemer
18. Simone Ferrari
19. Niccolo Cannone
20. Manuel Zuliani
21. Toa Halafihi
22. Martin Page-Relo
23. Paolo Odogwu