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Italy go into battle against New Zealand on Saturday. Taking place in Turin, Italy the Azzurri will have home advantage against the All Blacks. The match is the third, and final, November test match for Italy and the All Blacks’ fifth, and final, end of year tour match.
Italian Head Coach Gonzalo Quesada has a new captain. The Former Puma has named Juan Ignacio Brex to lead Italy against New Zealand. Brex was born and raised in Argentina. He is a product of Club San Cirano, or Asociación de Ex Alumnos del Colegio San Cirano in Spanish.
The naming of Brex to lead Italy comes one day after World Rugby announced Sergio Parisse as the first Italian player in the World Rugby Hall of Fame. Like Brex, Parisse is Argentine born and raised. The native of La Plata began playing rugby as a 5-year-old for local club Universitario de La Plata. He moved to Italy with his family aged 17 and debuted for Italy aged 18.
Juan Ignacio Brex is pictured below playing for Argentina XV against Spain the World Rugby Nations Cup in 2015. He also played Rugby Sevens for Argentina. Brex became eligible despite his prior representative duty for Argentina. Brex played for Argentina in capturing matches for the Argentina XV and Los Pumas 7’s. He is eligible via the grandparent rule and qualifies via the Olympic Loophole.
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ITALY
15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Jacopo Trulla, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex (capt.), 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Martin Page-Relo, 8 Ross Vintcent, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Dino Lamb, 4 Federico Ruzza, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: 16 Giacomo Nicotera, 17 Mirco Spagnolo 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Niccolò Cannone, 20 Alessandro Izekor, 21 Alessandro Garbisi, 22 Leonardo Marin 23 Marco Zanon
NEW ZEALAND
15 Will Jordan, 14 Mark Tele’a, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Wallace Sititi, 5 Patrick Tuipulotu, 4 Scott Barret (capt.), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 David Havili, 23 Damian McKenzie
