Italy name team for Namibia with 5 survivors from 2019 RWC

Head Coach Kieran Crowley has named five survivors in his match-day team from the last time they played Namibia at RWC 2019, in Tommaso Allan, Federico Ruzza, Luca Morisi, Simone Ferrari and Marco Riccioni.

Allan will play his eighth Rugby World Cup match, the most of any player in this squad. Italy have won all three games when he scores more than 10 points in a RWC game, but lost all four when he has been restricted nine points or fewer.

Only six players in his match-day squad have Rugby World Cup experience from previous tournaments.

Three players in the 23 play their club rugby in France: Tommaso Allan for Perpignan, Ange Capuzzo for Stade Toulousain and Paolo Garbisi for Montpellier.

Toulouse winger Ange Capuozzo starts on the wing. World Rugby Men’s Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2022 has made the most linebreaks (12) and beaten the most defenders (30) for Italy this season, breaking the defensive line on average every 4.8 carries.

SQUAD:

1 Danilo Fischetti

2 Giacomo Nicotera

3 Simone Ferrari

4 Dino Lamb

5 Federico Ruzza

6 Sebastian Negri

7 Michele Lamaro (c)

8 Lorenzo Cannone

9 Stephen Varney

10 Paolo Garbisi

11 Montanna Ioane

12 Luca Morisi

13 Juan Ignacio Brex

14 Ange Capuozzo

15 Tommaso Allan

REPLACEMENTS:

16 Hame Faiva

17 Ivan Nemer

18 Marco Riccioni

19 David Sisi

20 Manuel Zuliani

21 Martin Page-Relo

22 Paolo Odogwu

23 Pierre Bruno