Italy could send the Blues to the quarter-finals

Paul Roger, Media365: Published on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 11:01 am

Facing the All Blacks on Friday in Lyon, the Azzurri could, if successful, advance the French XV to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

While they will have to wait two weeks between their third World Cup group match at home against Namibia, a historic win (96-0), and the last against Italy, scheduled for October 6 at Parc OL, the Blues returned to their hotel in Aix. En Provence on a Monday after a weekend of rest. And they will inevitably be Attentive spectators of the match that will take place on Friday evening between the Italians and the New Zealanders Within the walls of Decin-Charpeau. Despite their three successes in the largest number of matches, first against the All Blacks (27-13), then losing for the first time in the group stage of the World Cup, then Uruguay (27-12) and subsequently Namibia, Fabien Galthie’s players did not . However, they still have a ticket to the quarter-finals, with a showdown against defending champions South Africa looming.

Italians are ‘confident’ and ‘ready to face anyone’

And if the defeat, with the defensive bonus, during the last match against Italy was enough for them, they will qualify on Friday, should the Trans-Alpine side succeed against Oceania. A result that might have seemed quite improbable but was no longer so, as the New Zealanders fell behind, while the Italians continued to advance, even if they did not start as favorites during this encounter that promised to be competitive against their opponent. They have never managed to win in 15 official matches. They will be able to rely on an “offside”, because their coach Kieran Crawley is a New Zealander, and on highly motivated players, as winger Monte Ioane confirmed after the victory over Uruguay. “The guys are confident. We are ready to face anyone.”The former Stade Français player, author of five Italian tries against the South Americans, was released. Note that Antoine Dupont, who underwent successful surgery for a zygomatic maxillary fracture, will not yet be with his partners to watch this match on Friday, but will join them two days later.