Rugby World Cup - Pool A Italy Factfile

Milan, Sept 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Sep, 2023 ) :ITALY Population: 59 million Capital: Rome Coach: Kieran Crowley (NZL) Registered players: 111,649 (World Rugby) World Rugby ranking: 13 (Aug 28, 2023) World Cup past record 1987: Pool stage 1991: Pool stage 1995: Pool stage 1999: Pool stage 2003: Pool stage 2007: Pool stage 2011: Pool stage 2015: Pool stage 2019: Pool stage Pool matches (all times GMT) Italy v Namibia, Sept 9 (1100), Sait-Etienne; Italy v Uruguay, Sept 20 (1545), Nice; New Zealand v Italy, Sept 29 (1900), Lyon; France v Italy, Oct 6 (1900), Lyon Squad Backs: Alessandro Fusco (Zebre), Alessandro Garbisi (Treviso), Martin Page-Relo (Lyon/FRA), Stephen Varney (Gloucester/ENG), Tommaso Allan (Perpignan/FRA), Giacomo Da Re (Treviso), Paolo Garbisi (Montpellier/FRA), Juan Ignacio Brex (Treviso), Luca Morisi (unattached), Pierre Bruno (Zebre), Paolo Odogwu (Treviso), Monty Ioane (Lyon/FRA), Ange Capuozzo (Toulouse/FRA), Lorenzo Pani (Zebre) Forwards: Pietro Ceccarelli (Perpignan/FRA), Simone Ferrari (Treviso), Danilo Fischetti (Zebre), Ivan Nemer (Treviso), Marco Riccioni (Saracens/ENG), Federico Zani (Treviso), Luca Bigi (Zebre), Hame Faiva (unattached), Giacomo Nicotera (Treviso), Niccolo Cannone (Treviso), Dino Lamb (Harlequins/ENG), Federico Ruzza (Treviso), David Sisi (Zebre), Lorenzo Cannone (Treviso), Toa Halafihi (Treviso), Michele Lamaro (Treviso, capt), Sebastian Negri (Treviso), Giovanni Pettinelli (Treviso), Manuel Zuliani (Treviso) Player to watch: Ange Capuozzo.

The France-born full-back is the undoubted star of this Italy team, an exciting presence capable of breaking open any defence. The 24-year-old has recently returned after six months out with a shoulder injury and was in excellent form in the Azzurri's warm-up wins over Romania and Japan.

Aim for the tournament: Italy have been drawn in a tough group with hosts France and New Zealand and will almost certainly have to beat either the hosts or the All Blacks if they are to reach the knockout stage for the first time. Outgoing head coach Crowley said that the minimum requirement is to finish third and qualify automatically for the 2027 World Cup.