1 day ago
Key events
Despite Australian rugby’s struggles, tonight’s lucifer is simply a waste out, nan sixth successful a statement for nan Wallabies.
Referee: Paris-born Englishman Christophe Ridley.
Conditions: It is mild and barren astatine HBF Park, but location is simply a small upwind astatine a venue that is comparatively mini and unfastened by Australian standards.
The crushed has a capacity of astir 25,000 and is location to nan Western Force successful Super Rugby. The Wallabies person played present doubly before, defeating Argentina successful 2016 and tying pinch South Africa a twelvemonth later.
There’s different Nations Championship fixture nether measurement pinch France starring Japan 35-15 successful Tokyo, conscionable aft half-time.
One lucifer successful nan Nations Championship has already vanished coming and it saw the All Blacks tally successful six tries against Ireland astatine Eden Park.
That’s 34 points connected France, 47 connected Italy, and now 40 connected Ireland. The Dave Rennie era is disconnected to a flying start.
Angus Fontaine looks up to tonight’s match, and reflects connected nan Joe Schmidt era.
double quotation markSchmidt’s tenure arsenic caput coach started successful 2024 pinch 3 consecutive victories astatine home. However, he has since won conscionable 8 of his 27 Tests successful charge. And if his men autumn to nan Azzurri connected Saturday – arsenic they person successful their past 2 clashes, successful 2022 and 2025 – Schmidt’s win-loss grounds falls beneath 36% and leaves Australian rugby dealing pinch a unspeakable hangover.
Italy XV
Italy person made 9 changes to nan starting XV that mislaid to nan All Blacks past clip out. Some of those are enforced, pinch cardinal fastener Niccolo Cannone banned for 4 games for a headbutt, and fullback Tommaso Allan and No.8 Lorenzo Cannone some injured.
15. Lorenzo Pani, 14. Louis Lynagh, 13. Juan Ignacio Brex, 12. Paolo Odogwu, 11. Monty Ioane, 10. Paolo Garbisi, 9. Alessandro Garbisi, 8. Ross Vintcent, 7. Michele Lamaro (c), 6. Riccardo Favretto, 5. Federico Ruzza, 4. Giulio Marini, 3. Marco Riccioni, 2. Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1. Muhamed Hasa
Replacements: 16. Pablo Dimcheff, 17. Danilo Fischetti, 18. Ion Neculai, 19. Andrea Zambonin, 20. Alessandro Ortombina, 21. Alessandro Fusco, 22. Giacomo Da Re, 23. Leonardo Marin
Australia XV
Joe Schmidt has made 3 changes to his last starting XV arsenic Wallabies coach. Two of those are wounded enforced pinch Harry Potter and Brandon Paenga-Amosa coming successful for Dylan Pietsch and Josh Nasser.
The last action is much funny pinch Australia’s standout performer against France, Fraser McReight, dropping to nan chair and Carlo Tizzano coming into nan backmost row. The logic is twofold: Tizzano is simply a Perth section and will springiness nan location fans personification to get behind, and Australia mislaid nan 2nd half truthful appallingly successful Brisbane location is simply a request to create nan aforesaid Bomb Squad finisher civilization that has served nan Springboks truthful good complete nan past decade.
1. Angus Bell, 2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 3. Allan Alaalatoa, 4. Josh Canham, 5. Jeremy Williams, 6. Rob Valetini, 7. Carlo Tizzano, 8. Harry Wilson (c), 9. Ryan Lonergan, 10. Declan Meredith, 11. Harry Potter, 12. Len Ikitau, 13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14. Max Jorgensen, 15. Tom Wright.
Replacements: 16. Billy Pollard, 17. James Slipper, 18. Zane Nonggorr, 19. Miles Amatosero, 20. Fraser McReight, 21. Tate McDermott, 22. Ben Donaldson, 23. Filipo Daugunu.
Daniel Gallan formed his oculus complete nan authorities of Australian rugby pursuing nan 2nd half illness against Les Bleus.
double quotation markDo Australia proceed trying to play for illustration a heavyweight without heavyweight depth? Or do they recalibrate and thin much into a crippled built astir their speed, breakdown threats and willingness to clasp a small chaos? That whitethorn activity occasionally, but it isn’t cutting it against nan apical sides.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everybody and invited to unrecorded sum of Australia v Italy successful information 3 of nan Southern Hemisphere bid of nan 2026 Nations Championship. Kick-off astatine Perth’s HBF Park is scheduled for 6.10pm section clip (8.10pm AEST).
These are acheronian days for Australian rugby. The Wallabies person mislaid six Tests successful a row, and suffered 19 defeats successful their past 27 matches. Last play they were torn isolated successful nan 2nd half by a rampant France, leaving skipper Harry Wilson bereft and apologising to his side’s fans for letting them down.
It was nan benignant of infinitesimal that would person led to calls for alteration – if alteration wasn’t already afoot. Tonight is nan last Test successful nan two-year reign of Joe Schmidt.
Between Bob Dwyer’s assignment successful 1982 and nan departure of Robbie Deans successful 2013 each coach of nan Wallabies boasted a triumph complaint of astatine slightest 58%. Since past cipher has passed break even. Dave Rennie managed conscionable 36%. His successor is presently connected 39.
Waiting successful nan wings, Les Kiss is connected a hiding to nothing.
But he will surely return complete a squad pinch a morale-boosting triumph nether its belt. Like Australia, Italy are 0-2 successful nan Nations Championship, but their caput coach, Gonzalo Quesada, is banned for nan night, and 9 changes person been made to nan Azzurri starting XV pinch cardinal players absent.
Italy person ne'er beaten nan Wallabies connected Australian soil, but they person won nan past 2 clashes betwixt nan pair, astir precocious successful November past twelvemonth successful Udine.
I’ll beryllium backmost pinch last squad lists and much shortly. Please nonstop maine your emails and support maine institution passim nan evening. The reside is [email protected].
