Italy name team for Boks Test in Genoa

Italy coach Kieran Crowley has named his team for the Test against the Springboks in Genoa on Saturday, kick-off is at 3pm.

It will be the 16th meeting between the teams, the eighth in Italy. The only other time the teams clashed in Genoa was in 2001, when the Boks won 54-26.

Italy have only ever beaten South Africa once — on the Boks’ November tour of Europe in 2016 when Italy won 20-18.

Crowley has made two changes to the side that famously beat Australia in Florence last weekend. Prop Pietro Ceccarelli and hooker Giacomo Nicotera have been promoted to the starting team.

Having beaten the Wallabies last Saturday, Crowley said the Italians wanted to one better and also knock over the 2019 world champions.

“We achieved an historic result against Australia, but we are not satisfied,” Crowley told the Italian Rugby Federation website. 

“After the win the focus immediately shifted to South Africa. 

“It will be a very intense match from a physical point of view. We have studied our opponents and prepared for them in the best possible way. We want to continue to be competitive in every game.”

Italy

Ange Capuozzo, Pierre Bruno, Juan Ignacio Brex, Luca Morisi, Montanna Ioane, Tomasso Allan, Stephen Varney, Lorenzo Cannon, Michele Lamaro (capt), Sebastian Negri, Federico Ruzza, Niccolò Cannon, Pietro Ceccarelli, Giacomo Nicotera, Danilo Fischetti. Bench: Gianmarco Lucchesi, Ivan Nemer, Simone Ferrari, David Sissi, Manuel Zuliani, Alessandro Garbisi, Edoardo Padovan, Tommaso Menoncello