New Zealand vs Italy - Rugby World Cup 2023 Preview
New Zealand will be in action against Italy in the Rugby World Cup group stage on September 29, 2023.
The All Blacks first played Italy in the opening game of the 1987 Rugby World Cup, winning 70-6 in Auckland. They've had 15 official Test matches, all won by New Zealand with an average 51-point margin. They were in the same pool in five of eight World Cups, playing four times due to a 2019 cancellation.
The first 11 games were at different venues, and later, two matches were held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. This time the two teams will face off at Groupama Stadium.
Italy celebrated a victory over Uruguay on Wednesday, September 20, 2023.
Date: 29/09/23
Time: 21:00 CET
Venue: Groupama Stadium
New Zealand vs Italy Prediction - Rugby World Cup 2023
New Zealand secured automatic qualification as the bronze medalists from the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
The All Blacks were in exceptional form before the World Cup, winning 10 of their last 11 games and scoring over 35 points in seven of those matches. However, their momentum was abruptly halted by a shocking 37-5 defeat to the Springboks at Twickenham, just two weeks before their opener against France where they faced a 27 - 13 defeat to the opponents.
Fortunately for Ian Foster's side, the team managed to return to their winning ways versus Namibia, celebrating a crashing 71 - 3 victory.
Image Source: Getty Images
Italy automatically qualified for the 2023 Rugby World Cup by finishing in the top three of their pool in the 2019 tournament. In 2022, they had surprising victories over Wales and Australia, but their 2023 performance hasn't matched those highs.
While Kieran Crowley's side started the tournament with wins against Romania and Japan, they faced challenges in their other seven matches this year. They lost all their Six Nations games and their mid-year World Cup warm-up matches against Scotland and Ireland. However, their two warm-up wins, especially with Capuozzo's return and standout performance against Romania, give them confidence and showcase their class and attacking prowess, despite the recent difficulties.
New Zealand have their sights set on nothing less than securing their fourth Rugby World Cup title in 2023. For Italy, successfully advancing beyond the pool stage would be a significant achievement and might even be considered a miracle, given the challenging pool they are in.
Italy will face a tough challenge in the upcoming match, and our prediction favors New Zealand as the likely winners.
Odds:
Match winner
New Zealand: 1.007
Italy: 13.00
Image Source: Reuters