ROMANIA v ITALY: Preview, Stats, Facts and Lineups
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Romania and Italy face off for the 43rd time on Friday evening, however, this is their first meeting since the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.
Italy were the victors back in 2015 claiming a 32-22 at Sandy Park.
Leonardo Sarto, Edoardo Gori, Tommaso Allan and Alessandro Zanni all scored for Italy that day with Allan making his starting return to the Italy fold this week.
Romania had trailed 29-5 after 65 minutes but scored tries by Adrian Apostol (2) and Valentin Poparlan.
It is almost 18 years to the day since the sides last played on Romanian soil. The home side won that day claiming a narrow 25-24 at the Stadionul Lia Manoliu in Bucharest. That is Romania’s only victory in their last eight meetings with Italy.
Italy come into the match on the back of a 38-31 win against Portugal in Lisbon last weekend. Meanwhile, Romania have not played since their Rugby Europe Championship match against the Netherlands in Amsterdam in March, they secured a 38-12 victory.
Team news
Romania coach Andy Robinson welcomes back 128-test veteran Florin Vlaicu, who last played for the Oaks in March 2021.
Vlaicu, who turns 36 later this month, will start at fly-half for the first time since March 2019 with 24-year-old Gabriel Rupanu his half-back partner. By contrast, Colomiers prop Victor Leon will make his Romania debut alongside Vasile Balan and Tudor Butnariu in the front row. Leon played seven tests for Moldova from 2011-18.
Vlaicu, Adrian Apostol and Marius Antonescu are the only players involved in Romania’s last meeting with Italy at RWC 2015.
Italy flyhalf Tommaso Allan also makes his return to the test fold earning his first start since February 2020. He is also the only Azzuri player who featured in the 2015 meeting.
Italy coach Kieran Crowley has retained only three players in his starting line-up from the Portugal match in Ange Capuozzo, Edoardo Padovani and Simone Ferrari.
Padovani moves from the left wing to the right and now captains the side with regular captain, Michele Lamaro, on the bench.
Paolo Garbisi provides cover on the bench too while his younger brother Alessandro Garbisi making his test debut at scrum-half only months after playing in the U20 Six Nations.
Alessandro and Paolo Garbisi become the first brothers to be named in the same Italy match-day 23 since Jacopo and Leonardo Sarto in the 67-14 loss to Wales in Cardiff in March 2016.
They are the 13th set of brothers to feature in the same match and the 24th to play for the Azzurri.
THE LINEUPS
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HEAD TO HEAD
Head-to-head
Played: 42 – Italy leads 23-16 with three draws
Points for: Romania 632 / Italy 609 (avg. score: 15-14)
Highest score: Romania 69 (69-0 on 1 May, 1977) / Italy 55 (55-33 on 26 October, 1997)
Biggest winning margin: Romania 69 (69-0 on 1 May, 1977) / Italy 37 (40-3 on 21 October, 1995)
First met: 26 December, 1934 – Italy 7-0 Romania – Milan
Last met: 11 October, 2015 – RWC 2015 – Italy 32-22 Romania – Sandy Park, Exeter, England
There are a total of 267 caps in the Italian starting line-up, split 150 in the forwards and 117in the backs – Allan and captain Padovani accounting for 97 of them
Referee: Luke Pearce
Test debut: 9 February, 2014 – Romania 29-14 Russia
Tests as referee: 35
