Italy v Canada, Elland Rd, Saturday, 2.30 (TV3, ITV)
The most pertinent aspect of the build-up to this match from an Irish perspective is that Italian totem, captain and number eight Sergio Parisse, is expected to return to training next week in time for the game against Ireland after missing the opening two matches with a haematoma on his calf that needed to be drained.
Joe Schmidt’s side will host Italy at Olympic Park on Sunday week (4.45). The Italians will be hoping that they go into that game with a victory.
Coach Jacques Brunel has made four changes to the side that lost to France, with Michele Rizzo and Lorenzo Cittadini coming in on either side of the frontrow while Gonzalo Garcia and Tommaso Benvenuto form a new midfield combination.
Canada, beaten 50-7 by Ireland, welcome back captain and number eight Tyler Ardron while Jebb Sinclair partners Jamie Cudmore in the secondrow.
‘Physically tough’
Acting Italian captain Leonardo Ghiraldini admitted: "There are four matches and we can't be saying that this is the match of our lives. We know after the match against France that if we want to qualify we have to win.
"We need to deserve our win and it is important we eradicate the errors from last weekend, namely our ill-discipline. We know it will be physically tough. We have played only one match at this World Cup and after losing three in the summer we are coming off four defeats in a row.
“We want to play a fantastic match and enjoy a magnificent win tomorrow, but it won’t be easy.
“We saw how they played against Ireland, when they did lots of good things. We will have to work hard.”
ITALY: L McLean, L Sarto, T Benvenuti, G Garcia, G Venditti; T Allan, E Gori; M Rizzo, L Ghirladini (capt), L Cittadini; Q Geldenhuys, J Furno; A Zanni, F Minto, M S Vunisa. Replacements: D Giazzon, M Aguero, M Castrogiovanni, M Fuser, M Bergamasco, G Palazzani, C Canna, M Campagnaro.
CANADA: M Evans; J Mackenzie, C Hearn, C Braid, Dth van der Merwe; N Hirayama, J Mackenzie; H Buydens, R Barkwill, D Wooldridge; J Sinclair, J Cudmore (capt); N Dala, J Moonlight, T Ardron (capt). Replacements: A Carpenter, D Sears-Duru, A Tiedemann, E Olmstead, K Gilmour, P Mack, C Trainor, H Jones.
