Italy name side for make-or-break All Blacks showdown

Italy coach Kieran Crowley made three changes to his team announced on Wednesday to face New Zealand at the Rugby World Cup.

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The match will take place on Friday, 29 September in Lyon.

Kick-off is at 21:00 (SA time).

Crowley reverted to almost the same starting XV that beat Namibia in their opening pool match.

Scrumhalf Stephen Varney comes back into the side while Luca Morisi will line up at inside centre as Alessandro Garbisi and wing Lorenzo Pani drop out of the matchday 23.

In a backline re-shuffle, Tomasso Allen returns to fullback from flyhalf, Ange Capuozzo shifts out wide to the right wing and Paolo Garbisi is back in the No 10 shirt having played inside centre in last week’s victory over Uruguay.

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The only change in the pack sees Dino Lamb returning to the second row and Niccolo Cannone dropping to the bench for Friday’s match in Lyon.

The sole difference from the match against Namibia sees Marco Riccioni keeping his place at tighthead prop and Simone Ferrari on the bench.

New Zealand-born forwards Hame Faiva and Toa Halafihi are both picked on the bench, with Crowley opting for six forwards and two backs.

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TEAMS

Italy

15 Tommaso Allan, 14 Ange Capuozzo, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Luca Morisi, 11 Montanna Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Lamaro (captain), 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Dino Lamb, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti

Replacements: 16 Hame Faiva, 17 Ivan Nemer, 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Niccolo Cannone, 20 Manuel Zuliani, 21 Toa Halafahi, 22 Martin Page-Relo, 23 Paolo Odogwu

New Zealand

TBA