The Italy Rugby will continue their preparations for the Rugby World Cup by playing against the Georgian side on this Saturday 10th of November. This will be the 2nd time ever that this two teams will clash in an official international game. Through this matchup, both teams again meet at the Italian soil for the second time in a row. Both sides fans are eagerly waiting for the Italy Georgia clash after a long time since 2003. And here we discuss Italy vs Georgia Rugby 2018 Autumn Test Preview, Prediction.

Georgia at Italy Rugby Fixtures 2018 Autumn Test, Kickoff Time, How to Watch

The historical game between the Azzurri and The Lelos schedule are as follows.

  • What: Italy vs Georgia Rugby 2018 Autumn Test
  • When: Saturday, November 10, 2018
  • Where: Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy
  • Kickoff: 14:00 GMT
  • Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
  • Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy (Ireland), Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
  • Television Match Official (TMO): Graham Hughes (England)
  • How to Watch: TBC

What happened in the last game of the Italy Rugby

Italy saw a halt to their poor run of form last time out when they recorded their first win in six matches. The Italian national side recorded a win over next year WC hosts, Japan Rugby. This close encounter was decided by a single penalty kick that proved to be the whole difference. Italy was dominant in the opening half and they scored three tries through Benvenuti, Polledri, and Ghiraldini. In the second period, Japan rallied back with three tries through Tupou, Mafi, and Matsushima but it wasn’t enough as Allan put two penalties over to ensure a 25-22 victory for the Italians.

Conor O’Shea bring any replacement in this game?

The Azzurri will be without Minozzi, Sarto, Esposito, Licata, Zani, and Mbanda. In their place, Sprandio makes a return to the squad. Also earning maiden call-ups to the squad is Tuivaiti and Meyer.

Georgia Rugby Previous Game

Unlike Italy, Georgia saw their good run of form halted by a spirited Japanese side. After winning five games on the bounce, Georgia Rugby fell to a disappointing 28-0 loss to the next WC hosts. In addition to the three tries from Van der Walt, Lemeki, and Himeno, Georgia conceded three penalties that were emphatically put over by Tamura and Noguchi.

Georgia Rugby Player Replacements

Georgia will miss the services of a number of first-team players due to injuries. They include Mikautadze, Kacharava, Asieshvili, Nemsadze, and Kolelishvili. Also missing is Modebadze and Shengelia with the most noteworthy absentee being Kvirikashvili. For that reason, there are fresh faces that have been drafted into the squad. They include Gogichashvili, Abjandadze, Gigashvili, Kerdikoshvili, and Dzneladze.

Both Sides Key Players To Watch

Conor O’Shea and Milton Haig both sides have some promising rookies to sail their team towards a win in Italy vs Georgia Rugby 2018 Autumn Test. Among them, a couple of veterans will perhaps attract the extra attention of the fans. To me, the key players are-

  • Georgia Rugby: The Player to watch in the Georgia squad are S. Todua, Matiashvili, and captain M. Sharikadze. Todua leads the stats with 11 tries while Matiashvili and Sharikadze have been the driving forces in the Lelos Army.
  • Italy Rugby: The Italian Captain S. Parisse has joined the fray after missing the summer tests due to surgery. He will be looking to inspire his side to victory over Georgia when these two sides meet on the 10th of November.

Italy vs Georgia Rugby 2018 Autumn Test Score Prediction

Italy won the previous and only meeting between these two teams. The Azzurri beat Georgia by 31 points to 22 last time out. The Lelos scored a solitary try via Urjukashvili who added a dropkick goal. Additionally, Jimsheladze scored four penalties for the Lelos but they were not enough to beat the Italians. On the other hand, the Italians scored four tries via Castrogiovanni, Checchinato, Vaina, and Troncon. Pez added a conversion and three penalties to put the match beyond the Lelos’ reach. This will be a match between two sides of relatively equal strength and each side will fancy its chances of registering a win in this match.

Prediction: Italy 29-23 Georgia

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