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Saturday at dawn, alarms set. In Wellington, at Hnry Stadium, Italy face the All Blacks: the most successful team in the history of sport, the one great nation the Azzurri have never beaten. And they arrive in the worst possible way, with the wound of Tokyo still open.
Nobody is asking for a miracle. After two straight defeats, Cardiff and Japan, the target is different: to put the pieces back together, to rediscover the Azzurri soul. As DanPat said, the real goal is to rediscover themselves.
Quesada’s three changes
Gonzalo Quesada makes three changes to the side beaten by Japan. At full-back, enforced, Tommaso Allan (almost 90 caps) returns for the injured Lorenzo Pani: in the toughest moment, the experience of Italy’s most seasoned player can matter. On the wing Louis Lynagh comes back in for Monty Ioane, while Ross Vintcent takes Ortombina’s place in the back row, adding heft to a breakdown that never won a ball in Tokyo, missing Zuliani.
Malik Faissal keeps his place: a clear message. Quesada does not drop a player at the first mistake, and has chosen the hardest game of all to grow a young man of huge potential.
Italy: 15 Allan, 14 Faissal, 13 Brex, 12 Menoncello, 11 Lynagh, 10 P. Garbisi, 9 Varney, 8 L. Cannone, 7 Lamaro (capt.), 6 Vintcent, 5 Zambonin, 4 N. Cannone, 3 Riccioni, 2 Di Bartolomeo, 1 Fischetti.
Marini’s dream debut
On the bench, with the 6+2 split that already tells you what kind of battle the head coach expects, sits the best story of all. Giulio Marini, a Benetton back-row forward who came through Mogliano, could make his Italy debut against the All Blacks of all teams. He would be the nineteenth debutant of the Quesada era, the third in this Nations Championship after Faissal and Ortombina. The finest baptism there is: picture him there, staring down the haka.
On the other side, Rennie’s All Blacks
Dave Rennie’s All Blacks make five changes from the France match, but of monstrous quality. Cam Roigard runs the show at half-back with Ruben Love; Tyrel Lomax celebrates his 50th cap; the captain is Ardie Savea (107 caps), the reigning World Player of the Year. On the bench are two possible debutants, including a winger fresh from the Super Rugby title with the Hurricanes: a danger in the closing minutes.
History and keys to the match
This is meeting number nineteen: 18-0 to New Zealand. The closest Italy came remains the 1991 World Cup (21-31, a Cuttitta try and Dominguez’s boot); the heaviest, the 101-3 of 1999. In “Windy Wellington”, keep an eye on the wind in the aerial game too.
“All I’d want is to see a side with a different character.”
That’s the key. Not the scoreline — DanPat predicts the All Blacks by 15 — but the response: a solid scrum even without Simone Ferrari and with new coach Santamaria, a lineout run by Sergio Parisse showing progress, and above all a quick defensive reset. Because Japan are fast, but the All Blacks are hardly slow.
Read also: Italy on the back foot: the lesson of Japan · Japan-Italy 27-10: what went wrong · All news
Up at dawn and cheering the Azzurri: will you watch Italy-All Blacks with us? Subscribe to DanPat Rugby and leave your prediction in the comments.
DANPAT Rugby — The Azzurri, told match after match.