Match Facts

Italy and Georgia have met just three times before, the Azzurri winning the first two meetings in 2003 and 2018 before Georgia secured a maiden victory in the fixture in 2022, all three clashes have been won by the home side on the day.

Italy won their final two 2024 Six Nations matches against Wales and Scotland, victory in this match against Georgia would mean they’ve won three consecutive games against European opposition for just the second time since 2003 (also in 2022 v Wales, Portugal, Romania).

Italy have won four of their last six Test matches (L2), as many as in their previous 17 combined (D1 L12) – the Azzurri have won 4+ Test matches in each of the last three calendar years, something they previously hadn’t accomplished since 2012.

Georgia have won six of their eight Test matches played in 2024 (L2), however, their two losses this year have come across their last three fixtures, versus Fiji (12-21) and Australia (29-40) in July.

Georgia have won three of their seven Test matches against the current Tier 1 nations since the start of 2022 (L4) after winning just one in 35 against such opposition previously (L34), since their first such fixture against Ireland in 1998.

Georgia averaged the most carries (116), metres gained (446) and defenders beaten (27.6) per game of any side in the 2024 Rugby Europe Championship, while Italy averaged the fewest in all three categories during this year’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations (93 carries, 323 metres gained, 16.0 defenders beaten).

Italy averaged 194 tackles completed per game in the 2024 Guinness Men’s Six Nations, over 30 more than any other side on average, while Georgia’s 88.3% tackle success rate was the highest of any team in this year’s Rugby Europe Championship.

Georgia conceded the fewest points per defensive 22m entry of any team in the 2024 Rugby Europe Championship (1.7), while only Championship winners Ireland (1.7) conceded fewer points per entry than Italy (2.2) in this year’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations.

Italy’s Michele Lamaro has made at least 19 more tackles than any other player in men’s Tier 1 rugby in 2024 (155), while teammate Tommaso Menoncello ranks first for dominant tackles (17) and second for turnover-winning tackles (6) this year.

Georgia’s Aka Tabutsadze scored seven tries in this year’s Rugby Europe Championship, at least three more than any other player, while teammate Davit Niniashvilli had the highest tackle evasion rate of any player to face 5+ tackles in the competition (72%).