Australia V Italy

[Shaggy]

Australia V Italy anyone? ... Anyone?

Not sure who will be in the teams ... apparently all of the positions were up for grabs in the Wallaby team after the loss to England, but Robbie Deans got no players pressing for selection from the loss to Munster

... The squad has been culled by five players (can't find the link sorry)

... Gower is out for Italy

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/gower-out-of-wallabies-test-20101117-17wdo.html

The Italian team will be picked from the following squad from the above article:

Italy squad

Forwards: Robert Barbieri, Mauro Bergamasco, Martin Castrogiovanni, Lorenzo Cittadini, Carlo Antonio Del Fava, Santiago Dellape, Paul Derbyshire, Quintin Geldenhuys, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Andrea Lo Cicero, Fabio Ongaro, Sergio Parisse (capt), Salvatore Perugini, Alessandro Zanni.

Backs: Tommaso Benvenuti, Mirco Bergamasco, Riccardo Bocchino, Gonzalo Canale, Pablo Canavosio, Edoardo Gori, Andrea Masi, Luke McLean, Luciano Orquera, Alberto Sgarbi.

 

[Larksea]

is Gower out because of injury or form? maybe a better option?

 

[eot345]

italy to lose by 25

 

[SelimNiai]

Oh dear, more scrummaging lessons for the Aussies this weekend.

 

[Shaggy]

is Gower out because of injury or form? maybe a better option?

Yeah, I hear what you're saying ... but, they say it's injury

... Yes, I guess the Italians are going to be on the end of the Wallabies playing for their positions in the team ... and the Aussie scrum will get a work out ... Quade Cooper will get plenty of tackling practice

 

[danit]

Gower suffered a serious knee injury, he's (probably) to undergo surgery and is likely to miss the 6N, Mauro Bergamasco has been ruled out too due to injury

two youngsters (sh Gori and fh Bocchino) have been called in the squad but at halves the argentinian born Canavosio - Qrquera are likely to start

wheater forecast are unfortunately very bad (stadium is uncovered and I'll be there...:huh so I guees breakdown situations will be more crucial than ever

Aussie to win but by a narrow margin, no more than 10 points

 

[danit]

15 Luke MCLEAN (Treviso, 22 caps)
14 Tommaso BENVENUTI (Treviso, 1 cap)
13 Gonzalo CANALE (Clermont-Auvergne, 59 caps)
12 Alberto SGARBI (Treviso, 6 caps)
11 Mirco BERGAMASCO (Racing-Metro Paris, 74 caps)
10 Luciano ORQUERA (Brive, 15 caps)
9 Edoardo GORI (Treviso, esordiente)
8 Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais, 70 caps)
7 Alessandro ZANNI (Treviso, 46 caps)
6 Paul DERBYSHIRE (Treviso, 6 caps)
5 Quintin GELDENHUYS (Aironi Rugby, 14 caps)
4 Carlo Antonio DEL FAVA (Aironi Rugby, 46 caps)
3 Martin CASTROGIOVANNI (Leicester Tigers, 69 caps)
2 Fabio ONGARO (Aironi Rugby, 72 caps)
1 Andrea LO CICERO (Racing Metro Paris, 79 caps)

16 Carlo FESTUCCIA (Racing-Metro Paris, 47 caps)
17 Lorenzo CITTADINI (Treviso, 3 caps)
18 Santiago DELLAPE' (Racing-Metro Paris, 58 caps)
19 Robert BARBIERI (Treviso, 8 caps)
20 Pablo CANAVOSIO (Aironi Rugby, 31 caps)
21 Riccardo BOCCHINO (Aironi Rugby, 4 caps)
22 Andrea MASI (Racing-Metro Paris, 53 caps)


big surprise: Edoardo Gori, 20 years old, no caps in Celtic League, no caps in Henieken Cup, just a season played (9 caps) in the domestic League last year in a mid range team (Prato), starts at 9


good luck guy, you need it (what a courage mr. Mallet...)

 

[Gavin]

Interesting backline for Italy. Not much experience and strange to see Gori start. Also do Italy not have anymore players to play 10? I don't rate Orquera that much

 

[danit]

Also do Italy not have anymore players to play 10? I don't rate Orquera that much

well, to be honest in Italy there's a lot of discussion about Kris Burton

the Brisbane born flyhalf, aged 30, has never ever really been considered for a national team spot, as he had played for low division italian teams (Benevento, Brescia), for a low division french team (Orléans, fédérale 1), and only last year for Prato Rugby Club in the top domestic league in Italy (notably, togheter with Gori)

he had an excellent season last year and is now playing for Treviso, where he's having an important role in this brilliant first part of the season in CL & HC

but Nick Mallet doesn't seem to rate him too much, so he's just given the opportunity to play with Italia A tomorrow night vs Tonga, we'll see what happens next...

apart from him (and Gower - Orquera - Bocchino), actually there's really no other decent flyhalf eligible for Italy

 

[Gavin]

Where has Andrea Marcato gone to?

 

[danit]

Where has Andrea Marcato gone to?

long term injury

 

[Gavin]

long term injury

Pity because I feel he is the long-term fly-half for Italy. Gower is just a stop-gap, he will never be international quality, at least at No. 10

 

[danit]

Gower is just a stop-gap, he will never be international quality, at least at No. 10

couldn't agree more, he's so good at inside center but really not worth a penny at flyhalf (an hyperbole of course... )

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Australia: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Berrick Barnes , 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (c), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau , 17 Benn Robinson, 18 Mark Chisholm, 19 Matt Hodgson, 20 Will Genia , 21 Matt Giteau, 22 Pat McCabe.


Giteau out with Barnes in,
To be honest I would've replaced Cooper with Barnes, and left Giteau there.
People are ragging on Giteau for not being a standout in the games, but at least he hasn't done anything specifically bad *coughDEFENCEcough* like Cooper.

Also, is Genia injured? I can't see any reason why Burgess would be ahead of him for this match, other than that.
Barnes knocked on a helluvalot of ball in the match against Munster, but the weather was atrocious and Burgesses passing, decesion making, and general play was terrible.

 

[madflyhalf]

I agree on Barnes-Gits-Coops: at least Giteau defends better than QC!
I red Genia had a knock on his ribs, but let me say: Genia is a bit out of form, and Burgess is the key of the final minutes winning against South Africa, New Zealand, and a good attacking performance against Wales.

Genia seems to keep the pace too slow in the final mintes, Burgess is rude (didn't pass well as Genia) but he's a helluva attacker!! I like him, I would have picked Burgess-Barnes-Giteau for the axe 9-10-12!

For Italy... well Gower isn't a test flyhalf, but Marcato too... He defends worst than Cooper (QC doesn't want to tackle, Marcato just CAN'T)!!! And his position is way far from the gain line, especially in 2nd phase and so on!
I never rated him as a good flyhalf, it's time for Bocchino, but it seems Mallett doesn't trust him, I also think this is the last call for Orquera, that had a good period at his club, but he struggled with Italy few years ago!

I will be in Florence, I fear for Italy, our scrum (Castro and Ghiraldini) is quite tired, don't know how it's gonna be when Robinson will come on...

There will be a good challenge in the back rows: Zanni and Derbyshire are our 2 youngsters, Parisse is a world class 8. Almost specular Australia with McCalman and the rising star Pocock, and Elsom the experienced one.
Different flankers: we don't have a pure fetcher, but Derbyshire is great with the ball in hands (though he is quite small), I hope Parisse would play with is head on, **** the chip kick!!

When I was playing U17 rugby, I've played against Derbyshire, weeks later his team (Prato) went to the Italian U.17 final against Treviso... he was playing 10 and 12, and he was simply amazing! Pure class (and already big like now), happy for him!


Out of the scrum, Australia will outplay us... it's just a big mismatch.


Devo solo capire perché quel pirla di Mallett quando ha uno buono che gioca centro lo mette ala!!! CAZZO!!

(I just wanna know why when we have a good and young player, a rising star at centre, Mallet uses him in a different position - wing!! HOLY ehm... )

 

[Shaggy]

it should be interesting to see how the new guys in the Wallabies go ... Will the scrum strengthen with Slipper and Simmons in the pack ... I guess Barnes should be able to help cooper defensively, and presumably, Barnes will take the goal kicks as well

Maybe Gits will be back in for the next match.

 

[Wally]

Australia are completely ****.

 

[wertas]

Parisse in attack - :facepalm: does some tricks, but what is the point in doing this? Some no look pass and missed opportunites. Actually I quite liked italian backline play.

 

[madflyhalf]

aha!!
Drew Mitchell has a tattoo on his buttock!!! HAHAHA!!

It appeared in World vision when Gori tackled him!


Yes, Parisse need to calm down for a while, he's not JC_2 The Return, he's not our saviour, it's just a class player that need to play with his head on.
Today too "averages" in both team... Not a great match, never good matches with Italy involved, but I see a great openside for us, Paul Derbyshire, and a new rising star in n.9 jersey, Edoardo Gori.
But I can't see why Canale is in the XV... and Ongaro too.

 

[Wally]

Is the Italian no. 14 a regular? He was so hopeless. Hands, positioning.. he just did not seem to have a rugby brain on him.