Rugby: Italy hosts Australia, South Africa and Chile in the clash of the two hemispheres
Tomorrow at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine the Azzurri will face Australia
Tradition is, for the time being, unbroken and November remains a month of great international comparisons for rugby. National teams from the northern hemisphere host those from the other half of the world, while in June/July the sides will be reversed.
Some matches have already been played last Saturday (England-Australia 25-7, in London-Twickenham; South Africa-Japan 61-7, in London-Wembley; Ireland-New Zealand 13-26, in Chicago; Scotland-USA 85-0, in Edinburgh), but next weekend the autumn test matches at the highest level definitely come into their own, with six confrontations.
Italy will also take the field, facing Australia tomorrow at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine. The first of a trio of commitments that will continue on Saturday 15th at the Juventus Stadium against world champions South Africa and will end on Saturday 22nd at the "Luigi Ferraris" in Genoa, host to Chile, fresh from qualifying for the next World Cup. That will take place in 2027 in Australia and sees the Azzurri already qualified. But precisely these test matches have an importance in the World Cup perspective. In fact, the first phase of the Rugby World Cup will be articulated in six groups of four teams each, and the draw - which will take place next 3 December - will be based on the ranking of the individual teams: a placement within the twelfth place would allow Italy, currently tenth, to enter the six second-tier teams, avoiding to cross several dangerous opponents, greatly increasing the possibility of passing to the quarter-finals.
Coming to Australia, it finished third in the Rugby Championship (behind South Africa and New Zealand, ahead of Argentina) and showed progress in the various areas of the game. The Wallabies, coached by New Zealand's experienced and highly-rated coach Joe Schmidt, are aiming for a crucial comeback in order to adequately face the World Cup on home soil, and are favourites in tomorrow's match.
"They are a team that aims to keep possession of the ball for a long time," said Azzurri coach Gonzalo Quesada, "and they kick little. They are very strong in the static phases and in the lineout they have also put England in difficulty. The unknown factor for them may concern opening halfback Carter Gordon, who is coming back from a 13-a-side rugby experience and may have some more difficulties: we will try, in case, to highlight it'.
