Australia v Italy: Underdogs eye chance to end 35-year wait for victory against Wallabies

Michael Cheika has found a voice of support in Italian coach Conor O’Shea — but the plucky underdog has a plan to heap pressure on the under-fire Wallabies outfit.

Italy's prop Andrea Lovotti and teammates acknowledge the public at the end of the international rugby union test match Italy vs Georgia on November 10, 2018 in Florence. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)

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ITALY’s coach Conor O’Shea believes the Wallabies will peak for next year’s World Cup, but wants his side to play every minute as if it’s their last to pressure the under-fire Australian team.

“If we start thinking that this Australian side is anything other than one of the top sides in the world — they’re way ahead of us in terms of rankings, they play top level rugby every week — we’d be delusional,” O’Shea said.

“We’ve just got to go out to play every minute as if it’s the last minute and then as the match wears on if we can stay with them, see which way the pressure flows, is it going to go more on us or them?”

Michael Cheika has been given a vote of confidence by rival coach Conor O’Shea. Picture: Getty

O’Shea believes criticism of Wallabies coach Michael Cheika and his team is premature, adding that unlike other teams they must play the All Blacks three times a year.

“I look at the type of rugby, the style of rugby they play and you know being typically Australian, they’ll get it right for the World Cup, I have no doubt,” O’Shea said.

“Every match they have is on a knife edge and I talk about it the whole time here — there are moments in matches that change matches and when they start going your way, that can change very, very quickly.

Italy's fly half Tommaso Allan (C) and teammates have a drought-breaking win in their sights. Picture: AFP

“...Stats are funny to me. People just drop them out. I don’t want to denigrate anyone, but if you want to be 100 per cent then you need to play weaker teams the whole time.

“Australia have to play in the most unbelievable championship, with travel, against the top teams.”

O’Shea has made just one change from the side that defeated Georgia last week, replacing fullback Luca Sperandio with Jayden Hayward.

ITALY TEAM

Jayden Hayward, Tommaso Benvenuti, Michele Campagnaro, Tommaso Castello, Mattia Bellini, Tommaso Allan, Tito Tebaldi; Abraham Steyn, Jake Polledri, Sebastian Negri, Dean Budd, Alessandro Zanni, Simone Ferrari, Leonardo Ghiraldini (captain), Andrea Lovotti. Reserves: Luca Bigi, Cherif Traore, Tiziano Pasquali, Marco Fuser, Johan Meyer, Guglielmo Palazzani, Carlo Canna, Luca Morisi.

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Originally published as Australia v Italy: Underdogs eye chance to end 35-year wait for victory against Wallabies