EOYT: Italy vs Australia, 24/11/2012

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence (24-11-2012, 14:00 GMT)
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Referee: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa)
Assistant referees: TBD
Television match official: TBD
​

 

[Dougydeluxe]

After the Wallabies show in England, I don't see them losing this. The team is starting to get players back from injury and they know that consistency is something they need to work on.

Only issue is if they play Bambam over Hooper… which I would not be happy about, Hooper has killed it and should continue to play until otherwise.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

you'd think the wallabies will take care of italy, but based on the last year, they are due for a bad game. hope they can get across the line.

 

[Big Ewis]

^ pleaaaaaaase...they got this one.
Italy can show up defensively, take more or less advantage of the scrum...but the attack is just so mediocre, and their kickers rather "so, so" atm.
Australia gets 2-3 tries and wins by 10-15.

 

[psychic duck]

Francesco Minto and Tommaso Iannone's new hairstyles for this match. Joe Marler would be proud.

 

[Draggs]

Been watching Wallaby highlights from the 2000's, what a backline they had year after year.
They really lack the magic of some of those players. I know the game has changed, but what would they give for a Mortlock, Larkham, and Latham? Those player just oozed class.
Even up to 2010 they had some sparks, Mitchell on form, occasionally Giteau, the underrated AAC. Never thought I'd get sentimental about some crim backs!

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Genia, Cooper, O'Connor, Beale, Mitchell, AAC are all fantastic when on form/not injured. We just haven't seen that in a while...

 

[psychic duck]

Been watching Wallaby highlights from the 2000's, what a backline they had year after year.
They really lack the magic of some of those players. I know the game has changed, but what would they give for a Mortlock, Larkham, and Latham? Those player just oozed class.
Even up to 2010 they had some sparks, Mitchell on form, occasionally Giteau, the underrated AAC. Never thought I'd get sentimental about some crim backs!

And Joe Roff of course. He was a quality player, won Australia the second match against the Lions in 2001.

Also makes Andre Joubert look silly as sidesteps him for his fourth try in this video ...

 

[InsaneAsylum]

AAC seems to have lost his ability to slip the first tackle. Going back maybe up until 2010 he would almost always slip the first tackle and draw one or two others in, now he just seems to run into contact.

 

[Draggs]

You just had to post that, eh, Duck?

 

[madflyhalf]

AAC seems to have lost his ability to slip the first tackle. Going back maybe up until 2010 he would almost always slip the first tackle and draw one or two others in, now he just seems to run into contact.

No I don't think so, I think he's only getting so much less ball than 2010.
I looked at him against England and he was again busy almost like those day and broke some few tackles.

I think his partnership with Tapuai is way much suited to his style of play, Tapuai has mixed abilities as straightner either as playmaker! I'm sorry for McCabe, 'cause he's been great by committment and heart, but if you want to play some attacking rugby, he's to be on the bench, for now, as Tapuai to confirm is form.


Confident Wallaby team, can't see Italy take this though much hope are spread among our supporters... Wallabies are better in skills, attacking, defence and kicking game.
We can put pressure on them on the scrum, we can hope for mental frailty, we must put some physical presence at bd: if they'll get quick ball, with Sheehan who's a better passer than Phipps, they would tear us apart.

If due to Oz mistakes, Italy will be close at 65' mark, the match could bring some surprise (3pt gap to Oz), but after all I think a couple of last quarter tries would come.

 

[madflyhalf]

Italy team named:

15 Andrea Masi
14 Giovanbattista Venditti
13 Tommaso Benvenuti
12 Alberto Sgarbi
11 Mirco Bergamasco
10 Luciano Orquera
9 Edoardo Gori
8 Sergio Parisse (c)
7 Robert Barbieri
6 Alessandro Zanni
5 Francesco Minto
4 Quintin Geldenhuys
3 Martin Castrogiovanni
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini
1 Andrea Lo Cicero

Subs: 16 Davide Giazzon, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Lorenzo Cittadini, 19 Antonio Pavanello, 20 Simone Favaro, 21 Manoa Vosawai, 22 Tobias Botes, 23 Luke McLean


Brunel confirm most of the team, with Geldenhuys in for Pavanello (a higher second row, cause lineouts were bloody awful last week), Barbieri in for Favaro (it's so difficult to not include both, as they're in superb form).

Italy have the edge on front row, and maybe in Zanni who's gonna teach Higginbotham how to not seagulling. Everywhere else we are beaten. With substitutes on, as Kepu is more reliable than Alexander, we can still be competitive with Cittadini who's in better form than Castro, but less experienced.

Still can't understand why Bergamasco is there.

 

[Darwin]

Wallaby side:
15. Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs)
14. Nick Cummins (Western Force)
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs)
12. Ben Tapuai (Queensland Reds)
11. Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs)
10. Kurtley Beale (Melbourne Rebels)
9. Brett Sheehan (Western Force)
8. Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs)
7. Michael Hooper (NSW Waratahs)
6. Scott Higginbotham (Melbourne Rebels)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Western Force, captain)
4. Sitaleki Timani (NSW Waratahs)
3. Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
2. Stephen Moore (Brumbies)
1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)
Reserves:
16. Tatafu Polota Nau (NSW Waratahs)
17. James Slipper (Queensland Reds)
18. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs)
19. Dave Dennis (NSW Waratahs)
20. Liam Gill (Queensland Reds)
21. Nick Phipps (Melbourne Rebels)
22. Mike Harris (Queensland Reds)
23. Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds)

Not quite the top strength side, but not too far off it.

 

[Mooly]

Hoping for a wallabies win for this one. The psychological space they're in will definitely be a factor.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Normally Australia should win this without any issues altho you never know.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Heart breaking stuff that the Italians didn't win.

 

[admartian]

Shame for Italy. Deserved to win.

Nick cummins has to get some sort of massive XMAS present from the ARU and Dingo - singlehandedly saved faced for them so far this EOYT.

SMH

 

[madflyhalf]

F**k!

I hoped so much during the game!!

But I don't think Italy deserved to win, we were too poor both in discipline and defence in the first half, as well as the Wallabies in the second one.
A draw would be fair.

Orquera outplayed Beale.

Zanni is a monster, he does everything and since he was subbed, we started to lose our last energies and momentum, that lineout on Vosawai was a terrible choice, due to a lack of jumpers, if Zanni was there, it would be thrown to him and he would have won it.

Minto, Orquera and Zanni for Italy were amazing. Minto was at his second cap!!
For Australia, Cummins, Hooper as usual and Ashley-Cooper were impressive again, and I think the better thing happened to Italy was the injury to Brett Sheehan, he was playing like a pitbull and a lot more sharpened than Phipps!

They looked tired, we were better at scrumtime and breakdown, but we didn't take the chance!


But we're growing.

It's been a long time since I've said this.
We're growing.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

Missed the games as my alarm didn't go off and thankfully as it would have been another frustrating game to watch as a Wallabies fan. credit to italy.

I mentioned that the Wallabies were due for a shitter, they seem to be doing the old good game bad game trick. next week everyone will tip Wales and the Wallabies will probably come out and smash the pants off them.
hopefully one day I can see the Wallabies win 3 games in a row again

 

[Big Ewis]

^ the int'l level has gone berserk lately !!

All of a sudden Samoa is an genuine threat legitimately every match it seems, the Wallabies are underdogs against some NH sides (obviously due to major injuries too), the AB's have separated themselves EVEN MORE from the rest of pack, SA look like an absolutely accessible matchup for most Tier 1 nations...

Who knows how this all pans out in about, ohhh say...20yrs ?