Italy vs Canada, RWC. Elland Road, Leeds.

Losty Dublin · 25-09-2015 10:37pm #1

Live on TV3 and ITV, UTV and STV, Kick off 2:30PM BST. Coverage from 2PM on both channels and via the TV3 and ITV websites and apps, geo lock permitting. Live radio on BBC 5 Live

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Canadian Replacements: 16-Aaron Carpenter, 17-Djustice Sears-Duru, 18-Andrew Tiedemann, 19-Evan Olmstead, 20-Kyle Gilmour, 21-Phil Mack, 22-Conor Trainor, 23-Harry Jones

Italian Replacements: 16-Davide Giazzon, 17-Matias Aguero, 18-Martin Castrogiovanni, 19-Marco Fuser, 20-Mauro Bergamasco, 21-Guglielmo Palazzani, 22-Carlo Canna, 23-Michele Campagnaro.

Preview. In both their first outings, both Canada and Italy failed to entertain but to give them their dues both had tough outings against group favourites Ireland and France. Saturday's game should open up somewhat as both teams are under less pressure to perform and against looser defences at that. Still, it leaves no room for errors that are self made and well both teams know it. Italy weren't up to their own mark in last weekends defeat to France and, being pinged far too often, need to improve on the 19 penalties that they gifted France last week.

For all their limitations Canada played well against Ireland last week and did well to give away a meagre 8 penalty turnovers. They also scrummed reasonably well and competed in the breakdown but were well and truly found wanting in open play, in spite of their grá for the seven a side game. Still, they defended well and could have gone down by more than you'd have expected.

Team News. Italy have dropped veteran props Aguero and Castrogiovanni for this encounter, the latter being hammered last weekend with several penalties. Vunisa retains his place as Parisse isn't recalled to the match day squad while backs Masi and Camapagnero are also out, the former being sent home due to injury and the latter demoted to the bench. Mauro Bergamasco makes the bench tomorrow; if he is capped then he becomes only the second player to appear in 5 RWC's.

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Canada recall squad captain Tyler Ardrom at number 8 while Jamie Cudmore, himself playing in his fourth RWC partners a recalled Jebb Sinclair in the second row.

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Verdict. Italy still entertain hopes of qualifying for the quarter finals. Given an upcoming game against Ireland its there for them to take but they need to win this one and to win well. Canada are tough but they aren't the solid and hard to beat Canada of old, their sole try last week came off a soft error and they aren't as tough as Italy up front. The bookies have Canada to draw +16; that's as good as they are going to get. I'm going with Italy to win about 34-18 and for the game to be more weird and far less entertaining than this Italian-Canook combo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a0juQ0aeGI

Losty Dublin · 26-09-2015 12:20am

smiley_face wrote: »

Thanks for the preview, a few tiny errors,
The name is not Camapagnero, it's Campagnaro, and he can't be out if he's named on the bench.
Also it's Mauro not Marco. (Mirco is his brother's name)

Out of the starting team sorry; I should have made that clear. Mauro, that's a typo. I'm entitled to one I reckon ;-)

efb · 26-09-2015 1:13pm

Well done! Come on Italy to win by 17 or more!

Stheno · 26-09-2015 1:15pm

Thanks Losty

Set up now for a day of rugby

razorblunt · 26-09-2015 1:33pm

Great vid choice.

That Italian anthem jacket though.

efb · 26-09-2015 1:41pm

Stampy stamp

Stheno · 26-09-2015 1:42pm

efb wrote: »

Stampy stamp

Good call by the tmo

Podge_irl · 26-09-2015 1:44pm

That should have been a yellow surely?

aimee1 · 26-09-2015 1:44pm

Canada have better shape to them. Italy just pass the ball on with no decoys. If canada get setpiece platform it could be interesting

Stheno · 26-09-2015 1:44pm

Who's the ref here?

pickarooney · 26-09-2015 1:44pm

Why does the ref have to ask if it's a card? At this stage they might as well just take the officials off the pitch and do everything from the TV room.

efb · 26-09-2015 1:46pm

pickarooney wrote: »

Why does the ref have to ask if it's a card? At this stage they might as well just take the officials off the pitch and do everything from the TV room.

Well if he didn't see it, how would he know the severity? Good TMOing imho

Stheno · 26-09-2015 1:47pm

pickarooney wrote: »

Why does the ref have to ask if it's a card? At this stage they might as well just take the officials off the pitch and do everything from the TV room.

In fairness on this occasion the ref repeatedly said he couldn't see what the tmo was talking about, so he wouldn't have been in a position to make a call on it?