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Capuozzo back at 15 as Italy name team for Uruguay
By Ian Cameron
Italy head coach Kieran Crowley has announced his squad to face Uruguay in Pool A at Stade de Nice on Wednesday, with star Ange Capuozzo moving back to his preferred 15 spot.
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There are a total of four changes from the win against Namibia.
Tommaso Allan and Alessandro Garbisi start alongside each other in the half-backs for only the third time, after last year against Georgia and this year against Romania.
Tommaso Allan kicked all eight shots at goal against Namibia in the opening round, scoring 17 points, equalling his highest points total in a RWC match after also scoring 17 against Romania in Exeter in 2015. He requires 15 more points to surpass Diego Dominguez as Italy’s all-time leading Rugby World Cup points scorer. In his ninth RWC game, Allan will look to overtake Dominguez who scored 98 points in nine matches between 1991 and 1999.
The return of the Allan-Garbisi 10-12 axis 👀 #RWC2023 | #ITAvURU | #rugby pic.twitter.com/XYh872roLE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 18, 2023
ITALY TEAM:
1 Danilo Fischetti
2 Giacomo Nicotera
3 Marco Riccioni
4 Niccolo Cannone
5 Federico Ruzza
6 Sebastian Negri
7 Michele Lamaro (c, pictured)
8 Lorenzo Cannone
9 Alessandro Garbisi
10 Tommaso Allan
11 Montanna Ioane
12 Paolo Garbisi
13 Juan Ignacio Brex
14 Lorenzo Pani
15 Ange Capuozzo
Replacements:
16 Luca Bigi
17 Federico Zani
18 Pietro Ceccarelli
19 Dino Lamb
20 Manuel Zuliani
21 Giovanni Pettinelli
22 Alessandro Fusco
23 Paolo Odogwu
Surely it'll be a hard-fought rugby match. It won't be easy for Italy given the huge performance improvement recorded in Uruguay 's RWC two matches. They were extremely brilliant in their last match against the French.
Interesting selection with Garbisi at 12. I'm expecting a very good game. Uruguay have an excellent backrow.