Italrugby, the XV for the challenge to South Africa
Gonzalo Quesada, Technical Commissioner of the Italian Men’s National Team, has made official the lineup that will face South Africa on Saturday, November 15 at 1:40 p.m. at Allianz Stadium in Turin in the Azzurri’s second Test Match in the Quilter Nations Series. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Uno, NowTv, Rai Sport and Rai Play.
It will be match number 19 between the two teams, the third in 2025 – after the two matches played in the 2025 Summer Tour in Pretoria and Port Elizabeth – and the ninth in Italy.
Only one change in the starting XV compared to the match won against Australia 26-19 in Udine last Saturday, November 8, with the inclusion of Riccioni in the front line in place of Ferrari.
Extended triangle formed by Capuozzo, Ioane and Lynagh with both Azzurri wingers in goal in Italy’s season debut match. Established pair of centers formed by captain Brex and Menoncello, while the keys of the middle line will be entrusted to Paolo Garbisi and Stephen Varney, the latter named Player of the Match in the win against the Wallabies.
In the third line along with Lorenzo Cannone – wearing jersey number eight – will be Zuliani and Vintcent. In the second line Zambonin and Niccolò Cannone, while Riccioni, Nicotera and Fischetti will take the field from the first minute.
The second line will be in the middle.
Ready to take over from the bench along with Ferrari and Allan – the only two veterans of the historic win against South Africa in 2016 in Florence – will be Di Bartolomeo, Spagnolo, Ruzza, Favretto, Odiase – who collected his two Azzurri caps just against the Springboks in the 2025 Summer Tour – and Page-Relo.
New Zealand’s James Doleman will referee the match.
This is the lineup that will take the field:
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15 Ange CAPUOZZO (Stade Toulousain, 29 caps)
14 Louis LYNAGH (Benetton Rugby, 8 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Toulon, 47 caps) – captain
12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 32 caps)
11 Monty IOANE (Lyon, 40 caps)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Toulon, 48 caps)
9 Stephen VARNEY (Exeter Chiefs, 35 caps)
8 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 31 caps)
7 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 36 caps)
6 Ross VINTCENT (Exeter Chiefs, 18 caps)
5 Andrea ZAMBONIN (Exeter Chiefs, 13 caps)
4 Niccolo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 56 caps)
3 Marco RICCIONI (Saracens, 35 caps)
2 Giacomo NICOTERA (Stade Français, 35 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (Northampton Saints 56 caps)
Available
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16 Tommaso DI BARTOLOMEO (Zebre Parma, 4 caps)
17 Mirco SPAGNOLO (Benetton Rugby, 18 caps)
18 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 67 caps)
19 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 65 caps)
20 Riccardo FAVRETTO (Benetton Rugby, 7 caps)
21 David ODIASE (Zebre Parma, 2 caps)
22 Martin PAGE-RELO (Bordeaux, 19 caps)
23 Tommaso ALLAN (Perpignan, 86 caps)
