Italy has made four changes to their lineup for the upcoming Rugby World Cup Pool A match against Uruguay at the Stade de Nice on Thursday, following their dominant 52-8 victory over Namibia in the opening game of the tournament.
Coach Kieran Crowley’s squad changes include moving Ange Capuozzo from wing to fullback and bringing Tommaso Allan back as the flyhalf. Lorenzo Pani, making his World Cup debut, joins as the wing player. This revamped lineup aims to face a Uruguay side that impressed with their performance in a 27-12 loss against France.
Notably, Italy will field two sets of brothers in the starting lineup for the first time in a World Cup game: the Garbisi siblings and the Cannone siblings. Alessandro Garbisi replaces Stephen Varney at scrumhalf, while his brother Paolo takes the number 12 jersey as the center, moving from flyhalf. Niccolo Cannone steps in for lock Dino Lamb, who scored a try against Namibia but will be on the bench for this match. Lorenzo Cannone retains his position as number eight.
Marco Riccioni is included as the prop, replacing Simone Ferrari, who is not part of the match-day 23. Back row Sebastian Negri retains his place and will make his 50th appearance for Italy in this game.
Despite their expected win against Namibia and with challenging matches against New Zealand and France ahead, Italy understands the importance of not underestimating their game against Uruguay. Coach Crowley emphasized the significance of each game in the World Cup and stressed that their focus is on their performance.
Italy’s previous encounter with Uruguay saw them secure a 17-10 victory in November 2021, marking Kieran Crowley’s first win as coach of the Azzurri. Seven players from that victorious team will start against Uruguay, highlighting the continuity and experience within the squad.
In Pool A, Italy is joined by hosts France, New Zealand, and Namibia, making every match a critical step in their Rugby World Cup journey.
Italy Starting Lineup:
- Ange Capuozzo (Fullback)
- Lorenzo Pani (Wing)
- Juan Ignacio Brex (Center)
- Paolo Garbisi (Center)
- Montanna Ioane (Wing)
- Tommaso Allan (Flyhalf)
- Alessandro Garbisi (Scrumhalf)
- Lorenzo Cannone (Number Eight)
- Michele Lamaro (Captain, Flanker)
- Sebastian Negri (Flanker)
- Federico Ruzza (Lock)
- Niccolo Cannone (Lock)
- Marco Riccioni (Prop)
- Giacomo Nicotera (Hooker)
- Danilo Fischetti (Prop)
Replacements:
- Luca Bigi
- Federico Zani
- Pietro Ceccarelli
- Dino Lamb
- Manuel Zuliani
- Giovanni Pettinelli
- Alessandro Fusco
- Paolo Odogwu
