Title: “Pre-match: Italy against New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup”
Introduction :
The 2023 Rugby World Cup is in full swing, and Italy is preparing to face the formidable New Zealand team. This meeting, which will take place in Lyon, represents a major challenge for the Italians. Indeed, the latter have never managed to beat the All Blacks in the World Cup. However, the Italian team intends to surpass itself and create a surprise thanks to the impressive performances of Ange Capuozzo.
A first World Cup match full of twists and turns:
During their first match of the competition against Uruguay, the Italians showed unfailing determination. Despite some moments of inattention, such as that experienced by Giovanni Pettinelli who found himself captivated by the giant screen of the stadium instead of concentrating on the game, Italy managed to achieve victory with the bonus point offensive. However, this careless mistake will not be tolerated in the upcoming matches against New Zealand and France.
The history of confrontations against New Zealand:
Confrontations between Italy and New Zealand at the World Cup have always gone in favor of the All Blacks. Indeed, in the five previous meetings, Italy has never managed to win. The scores have sometimes been clear, like in 1999 when New Zealand won with a margin of 98 points. However, in 1991 Italy only lost by ten points, showing they could compete with the best.
The frustration of the match being canceled in 2019:
During the last World Cup in 2019, Italy and New Zealand were also supposed to meet in the group stage. Unfortunately, Typhoon Hagibis caused the cancellation of the match, leaving a bitter taste for the Italians who needed a victory to hope to qualify for the quarter-finals. Despite everything, this shows that Italy had the ambition to compete against the best teams in the world.
Italy’s luck against the favorites:
The Squadra Azzurra are aware that they are considered the outsiders in this group made up of New Zealand and France, two world-renowned teams. However, she intends to play hard in these two “round of 16” matches and create a surprise. For this, she will be able to count on the young Italian nugget, Ange Capuozzo, who has already shown all her talent during the Six Nations Tournament.
Conclusion :
Italy against New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup: a major challenge for the Italians. Despite an unfavorable history, the Italian team intends to fight until the end to create the feat. This Friday’s meeting in Lyon promises to be thrilling, and Italian fans are hoping to see an exceptional performance from Ange Capuozzo and his team. See you on the pitch to find out if Italy will finally manage to break the curse against the All Blacks.