Nacho Brex captain of'Italrugby vs. Australia

A sunny day provided the backdrop for the Italian Men’s National Team’s Captain’s Run as they take on Australia at Bluenergy Stadium in Udine today at 6:40 p.m., the Azzurri’s first 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 a really important match against one of the strongest teams in the world. We return to Udine after a year in which I think Italy has grown. Especially because this summer, when we went to South Africa, there was a fairly new group,” said Nacho Brex, captain of the Azzurri for the debut match in the Quilter Nations Series against Australia, “made up of guys who have grown up, put themselves on display to be part of the team this weekend as well: so it’s the whole squad that continues to grow.”

On the captain’s stripes, he said, “To be the captain of this team for this match is really a pride. Our captain, as I have also said on previous occasions, continues to be Michele Lamaro and first of all I respect his role. Then when it’s my turn to do it, it’s beautiful, both for me and for my family and my Italian grandparents.”

“Defense will probably be a key point in the competition. They, as mentioned, are a team that likes to keep the ball in their hands a lot: they don’t kick as much, so a key point for us will certainly be the defensive side. Then yes, there are the breakdowns, where they have a few players who really struggle on every single point of encounter. Not forgetting the aerial balls, which have now become a very important fixed point in rugby across the board,” Brex stressed.