Overview
- Australia reached Udine a day after a 25-7 loss to England to prepare for Saturday’s meeting with Italy.
- James O’Connor did not travel and is not expected to be called up, leaving Tane Edmed, Carter Gordon and Hamish Stewart to cover fly-half.
- Coach Joe Schmidt added Exeter pair Tom Hooper and Len Ikitau to refresh the squad, while Will Skelton was not considered after playing for La Rochelle.
- Schmidt reviewed the 2022 Florence defeat and consulted former coach Dave Rennie as he plans the rematch in Udine.
- Italy’s squad under Gonzalo Quesada features Ange Capuozzo and Tommaso Allan plus uncapped lock Enoch Opoku Gyamfi, and the result will affect Australia’s push for a top-six ranking.