TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Former Argentina flyhalf, Italy’s head coach Gonzalo Quesada, will face off against his home nation this Saturday when the Azzurri welcomes Los Pumas to Udine.
It will be the 24th match between the two teams, the twelfth in Italy and the first ever in Udine with a total of five wins for the Azzurri, one draw, and 17 wins for Argentina with the last success for Italy dating back to 2008 in Cordoba.
Mirco Spagnolo, one of the best prospects to emerge from Itlay in recent seasons, wins his ninth cap alongside Saracens man Marco Riccioni and is named as the starting props, with Toulon player Gianmarco Lucchesi named as the starting hooker.
It’s an all-Benetton second row and back row, with Niccolo Cannone and Federico Ruzza packing down in the engine room. Sebastian Negri starts at blindside flank, with captain Michele Lamaro starting as the open-side flank. Lorenzo Cannone starts in at No. 8 alongside his brother Niccolo (No. 4) finishing off the forwards.
It’s a French midfield, with Lyon’s Martin Page-Relo starting at scrumhalf alongside Toulon star Paolo Garbisi at flyhalf. We see the inevitable choice of a solid centre duo made up of the 2024 Six Nations Player of the Championship, Tommaso Menoncello, and the only ‘Argentine’ in Italy, Juan Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Brex.
In the back three, it’s all speed and dynamism with Monty Ioane and Louis Lynagh starting, the latter in his fifth appearance for the Azzurri. They are aided by the dynamic Ange Capuozo, who starts at fullback.
Italy: 15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Martin Page-relo, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Lamaro, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Mirco Spagnolo
Replacements: 16 Giacomo Nicotera, 17 Danilo Fischetti, 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Dino Lamb, 20 Manuel Zuliani, 21 Alessandro Garbisi, 22 Tommaso Allan, 23 Marco Zanon
Date: Saturday, November 9
Venue: Bluenergy Stadium, Udine
Kick-off: 17.40 GMT (14.40 Argentina time)
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Adam Leal (England)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
