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Italy vs England

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  • 03-02-2024 3:08pm
    #1
    Losty Dublin
    Registered Users Posts: 12,971 ✭✭✭✭


    Italy vs England; KO 14:15 GMT.

    I will spare you a long introduction as this is a rush job of a match thread.

    The BBC reports for both teams; first off Italy...

    • Alessandro Garbisi is included at scrum-half alongside his brother Paolo at number 10. Tommaso Allan is picked at full-back and Tommaso Menoncello returns at centre, having missed the World Cup through injury. 
    • Ange Capuozzo was ruled out on Friday because of illness and is replaced by Lorenzo Pani on the wing.
    • In the pack, Gianmarco Lucchesi is back after missing all of Italy's internationals in 2023 with a knee injury, while lock Federico Ruzza wins his 50th cap. 

    As for England.... 

    • Blind-side flanker Ethan Roots and inside centre Fraser Dingwall make their Test debuts, while the uncapped trio of back row Chandler Cunningham-South, fly-half Fin Smith and winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso are on the bench. 
    • Marcus Smith was set to replace the absent Owen Farrell but has been ruled out because of a calf injury for at least two matches, so fly-half George Ford wins his 92nd cap.
    • In addition to Genge, Borthwick is without backs Ollie Lawrence, Manu Tuilagi and Anthony Watson and forwards Tom Curry, Luke Cowan-Dickie, George Martin and Bevan Rodd because of injury. 
    • Henry Arundell, Joe Marchant, David Ribbans and Jack Willis are no longer eligible as they play in France.

    This game has taken a heightened importance given the result last night, with much of the heavy lifting done for the inevitable Grand Slam that English entitlements rarely see deliver. On paper, even todays weakened Spice Stealers squad has far too much for the home squad to be able for. In saying that, we are also talking about an England who came out of the World Cup far better than their form and that of other nations suggested. Write offs or write off at your peril? That's the big question.

    Likewise, Italy have had a weird run up. Favourable form at Under 20 level and a good pre RWC suggested much promise only for a mediocre show when it mattered. The departure of Crowley and Aboud behind the scenes shows that all isn't well in their version of Lansdowne House; yet Benneton are second in the URC and rightly so.


    Italy: 15-Allan, 14-Pani, 13-Brex, 12-Menoncello, 11-Ioane, 10-Garbisi, 9-Garbisi; 1-Fischetti, 2-Lucchesi, 3-Ceccarelli, 4-Cannone, 5-Ruzza, 6-Negri, 7-Lamaro (capt), 8-Cannone

    Replacements: 16-Nicotera, 17-Spagnolo, 18-Zilocchi, 19-Zambonin, 20-Iachizzi, 21-Zuliani, 22-Varney, 23-Izekor

    England: 15-Steward, 14-Freeman, 13-Slade, 12-Dingwall, 11-Daly, 10-Ford, 9-Mitchell; 1-Stuart, 2-Marler, 3-George (capt), 4-Itoje, 5-Chessum, 6-Roots, 7-Underhill, 8-Earl

    Replacements: 16-Dan, 17-Obano, 18-Cole, 19-Coles, 20-Cunningham-South, 21-Care, 22-Smith, 23-Feyi-Waboso

    My opinion; England to win by 15 but they'll be deciding by how much towards the end.



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