“Our goal is to win as many matches as possible, knowing that we will have to take on opponents one after the other,” he said at a press conference. “We are currently focused on Namibia, then we will focus on Uruguay, then New Zealand and finally France,” he continued. “We have a minimum objective, it’s third place (in the group, directly qualifying for the next World Cup, editor’s note), but we also want to create opportunities and show that we can play at the level of the best teams during 80 minutes,” added the former hooker. For the Azzuri’s first match against the Namibians, on September 9 in Saint-Etienne, Moretti expects “a great battle from a physical point of view”: “Many of their players play in South Africa”, a- he recalled.
Italy have never made it to the quarter-finals of a World Cup and with New Zealand and France in their group, it will be difficult for them to end this run. “We have shown in recent months that we are making progress and that we are gaining strength,” however warned Brive pillar Pietro Ceccarelli.
“This World Cup will undoubtedly be the most balanced in history,” added Benetton Rugby scrum-half Alessandro Garbisi, who makes New Zealand his favorite for the title.