Italy vs All Blacks

[Gumboot]

Allianz Stadium, Turin

Local: 9:10pm, Saturday 23 Nov
NZ: 9:10am, Sunday 24 Nov

Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant Referee 2: Ludovic Cayre (France)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)


Teams tbc...

[Kiwias]

Thanks.

Japan 5:10AM kick-off

[Sards]

Non event....the biggie was last weekend.
So very disappointed that I stayed awake for that

[Gumboot]

Hopefully the ABs play well and end the year on a high. Would like to see Razor pick something like this...

15 Love, 14 Tele'a, 13 Lam, 12 ALB, 11 Clarke, 10 Perofeta, 9 Roigard, 8 Sititi, 7 Cane, 6 Lakai, 5 Tuipulotu (c), 4 Lord, 3 Newell, 2 Aumua, 1 de Groot

16 Bell, 17 Ofa, 18 Tosi, 19 Holland, 20 Ardie, 21 Perenara, 22 Rieko, 23 DMac, 24 Havili

Assuming Finau and Jordie are out injured. Dunno if they'll give any of the B Team players a run or stick with the original squad members, but I hope we see Holland and Lam feature.

Give Will Jordan and Cortez Ratima the week off to reflect on their less than stellar decision-making of late.

[Kiwias]

A 5-4 split is a novel idea. Otherwise, I like that team

[Gumboot]

A 5-4 split is a novel idea.

Too subtle?

[Guy Smiley]

Hopefully the ABs play well and end the year on a high. Would like to see Razor pick something like this...

15 Love, 14 Tele'a, 13 Lam, 12 ALB, 11 Clarke, 10 Perofeta, 9 Roigard, 8 Sititi, 7 Cane, 6 Lakai, 5 Tuipulotu (c), 4 Lord, 3 Newell, 2 Aumua, 1 de Groot

16 Bell, 17 Ofa, 18 Tosi, 19 Holland, 20 Ardie, 21 Perenara, 22 Rieko, 23 DMac, 24 Havili

Assuming Finau and Jordie are out injured. Dunno if they'll give any of the B Team players a run or stick with the original squad members, but I hope we see Holland and Lam feature.

Give Will Jordan and Cortez Ratima the week off to reflect on their less than stellar decision-making of late.

Wholesale change for the sake of it is a trademark of the arrogance enjoyed by Hansen and then Fozzie. I hope they stick with a largely unchanged lineup aside from injury replacements, myself. You're developing the core of a team that will carry the jersey with due pride and respect, some generational change is always on the cards and we've seen plenty of it already this year... I'm happy to see them stick with that core group and add to it slowly.

[Gumboot]

Wholesale change for the sake of it is a trademark of the arrogance enjoyed by Hansen and then Fozzie. I hope they stick with a largely unchanged lineup aside from injury replacements, myself. You're developing the core of a team that will carry the jersey with due pride and respect, some generational change is always on the cards and we've seen plenty of it already this year... I'm happy to see them stick with that core group and add to it slowly.

I'd prefer to run with some of the fringe players like Love, Perofeta and Newell, who have hardly taken the field so far on tour. And I reckon it would be especially harsh to leave out Ethan de Food Bill.

[Guy Smiley]

I'll settle for bench spots

[Kiwias]

A 5-4 split is a novel idea.

Too subtle?

I particularly like your idea of Rieko at 10

[Enzedder]

All Blacks match-day 23 (caps in brackets)

1. Ethan de Groot (28)
2. Codie Taylor (95) (Vice-Captain)
3. Tyrel Lomax (43)
4. Scott Barrett (79) (Captain)
5. Patrick Tuipulotu (50)
6. Wallace Sititi (9)
7. Sam Cane (103)
8. Ardie Savea (93) (Vice-Captain)
9. Cam Roigard (9)
10. Beauden Barrett (133)
11. Caleb Clarke (28)
12. Anton Lienert-Brown (83)
13. Rieko Ioane (80)
14. Mark Tele’a (18)
15. Will Jordan (40)

16. Asafo Aumua (19)
17. Ofa Tu’ungafasi (67)
18. Fletcher Newell (21)
19. Tupou Vaa’i (37)
20. Peter Lakai (2)
21. TJ Perenara (88)
22. David Havili (29)
23. Damian McKenzie (61)

Unavailable due to injury: Tamaiti Williams (neck), Jordie Barrett (knee), Samipeni Finau (concussion), Sam Darry (knee), Ethan Blackadder (calf), Luke Jacobson (fractured thumb) and Dalton Papali'i (upper hamstring).

The All Blacks’ final match of the Northern Tour will also be the final match in the black jersey for long-serving All Blacks Sam Cane and TJ Perenara. Cane will sign off his remarkable All Blacks career in the No.7 jersey, while halfback Perenara will inject his trademark high-energy impact off the bench against Italy on Saturday night in Turin.

Cane’s return creates a loose forward reshuffle, with Wallace Sititi slipping back into blindside and Ardie Savea going to No.8.

There are two further changes in the forwards, with prop Ethan de Groot and lock Patrick Tuipulotu coming into the starting line-up. Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Fletcher Newell will provide prop cover and Tupou Vaa’i will cover lock.

In the backs, Jordie Barrett has been ruled out this week with a knee injury, which sees Anton Lienert-Brown start at second five-eighth and brings David Havili into the reserves. Mark Tele’a has recovered from his hand injury to reclaim the right wing.

[sturginho]

15 Ange CAPUOZZO (Stade Toulousain, 22 caps)
14 Jacopo TRULLA (Zebre Parma, 11 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 40 caps) – capitano
12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 22 caps)
11 Monty IOANE (Lione 34 caps)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Toulon RC, 41 caps)
9 Martin PAGE-RELO (Lione, 12 caps)
8 Ross VINTCENT (Exeter Chiefs, 8 caps)
7 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 26 caps)
6 Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 57 caps)
5 Dino LAMB (Harlequins, 8 caps)
4 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 58 caps)
3 Marco RICCIONI (Saracens, 29 caps)
2 Gianmarco LUCCHESI (Toulon RC, 27 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (Zebre Parma, 46 caps)

A disposizione
16 Giacomo NICOTERA (Stade Francais, 27 caps)
17 Mirco SPAGNOLO (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps)
18 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 58 caps)
19 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 46 caps)
20 Alessandro IZEKOR (Benetton Rugby, 5 caps)
21 Alessandro GARBISI (Benetton Rugby, 12 caps)
22 Leonardo MARIN (Benetton Rugby, 12 caps)
23 Marco ZANON (Benetton Rugby, 16 caps)

[Gumboot]

Wasn't expecting quite such a strong ABs side, but hopefully they can put on a top performance to finish the tour.

[Gumboot]

22. David Havili (29)

Not exactly thrilled to see this year's least deserving All Black make the reserves.

And yet Ruben Love misses out again. Go figure.

[Gumboot]

Go, All Blacks!

[sturginho]

Butchering their anthem, a sure fire way to get them riled up....

[ScarfaceClaw]

Butchering their anthem, a sure fire way to get them riled up....

It’s a bag of spanners at the best of times. I’d be more surprised if it was un-butchered.

[sturginho]

Ruzza is meant to be the safe pair of hands, I'll start calling him shit for hands at this rate

[Slick]

I thought it was frustrating being a Scotland supporter… how do Italians cope

[sturginho]

Ruzza is meant to be the safe pair of hands, I'll start calling him shit for hands at this rate

I take it all back, what a steal! And a 50-22!

[ScarfaceClaw]

Roigard is looking very slow and average here.

[Tichtheid]

Two pretty cynical actions from ABs there

[sturginho]

Stop the count!

[Slick]

How the fuck is that not a yellow. Ref knows he’s bottled it

[fishfoodie]

What a crowd !

What an atmosphere !

[Enzedder]

This cannot be rust.
Shit players or shit coaching ?

Although keeping the Italians onside at the mauls would be a bit fairer than open slather.

[ScarfaceClaw]

This cannot be rust.
Shit players or shit coaching ?

Although keeping the Italians onside at the mauls would be a bit fairer than open slather.

Roigard looks like he’s never seen a rugby ball before.

[Oxbow]

Good start for Italy. Won't last, mind.

[Slick]

Has anyone seen those videos of the footie ref that prances and dances about?

[Enzedder]

And we haven't learned not to shepherd the ball catcher yet.

[ScarfaceClaw]

Has anyone seen those videos of the footie ref that prances and dances about?

That’s a harsh call.

[ScarfaceClaw]

Oh FFS.

[TheNatalShark]

It will stay a yellow, because something something

[fishfoodie]

Oh FFS.

Has the squad been in suspended animation for the last year, & no-one told them about the latest law changes ?

[sturginho]

Has anyone seen those videos of the footie ref that prances and dances about?

That’s a harsh call.

HE COULD HAVE DOID!

[ScarfaceClaw]

It will stay a yellow, because something something

This’ll be the one that gets upgraded.

[Kiwias]

Italy are playing at an insane intensity, unlikely to last

[ScarfaceClaw]

Oh FFS.

Has the squad been in suspended animation for the last year, & no-one told them about the latest law changes ?

And convinced them that there’s no need to catch or move the ball with any speed.

[SaintK]

Italy are playing at an insane intensity, unlikely to last

Yep
ABs very clumsy though

[Enzedder]

Telea should have been pinged for not releasing there