Ange Capuozzo and Paolo Garbisi will start respectively at fullback and center in Italy’s second match in the 2023 World Cup on Wednesday in Nice against Uruguay, according to the composition revealed on Monday. The two men who play in the Top 14, the first in Toulouse, the second in Montpellier, had already participated in the victorious entry of the “Nazionale” against Namibia (52-8) in group A, that of France , but in different positions: the wing for Capuozzo and the opening for Garbisi.
The latter will start this time as first center, a position that he is more accustomed to occupying with Montpellier in the Top 14 than in the jersey of his selection. Tommaso Allan, expected at Perpignan, another Top 14 club, at the end of the World Cup, inherited number 10 after playing the first match at full-back.
He will be associated with scrum half Alessandro Garbisi, Paolo’s little brother, one of the four new faces of the starting XV with winger Lorenzo Pani, prop Marco Riccioni and second row Niccolo Cannone, who will also play with his brother , the third line Lorenzo. “We worked well during the week,” said New Zealand coach of Italy, Kieran Crowley, obviously wary after the good resistance shown by Uruguay against the XV of France (27-12). “We are in a World Cup: each match has its importance, its difficulties and its history.”
Line-up of Italy against Uruguay:
Capuozzo – Pani, Brex, P. Garbisi, Ioane – (o) Allan, (m) A. Garbisi – Lamaro (cap.), L. Cannone, Negri – Ruzza, N. Cannone – Riccioni, Nicotera, Fischetti
Substitutes: Bigi, Zani, Ceccarelli, Lamb, Zuliani, Pettinelli, Fusco, Odogwu
