Australia will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to the Welsh when they take on Italy on Saturday the 17th of November.
The Wallabies will head to Italy a side in turmoil after they lost their eighth game of 2018 as they succumbed 9-6 to Wales last Saturday. The result really has heaped the pressure of head coach Michael Cheika, who will be looking for a big response from his charges this weekend against an Italian side that gave a solid account of themselves against Georgia last weekend.
Italy v Australia
Saturday 17 November
Stadio Euganeo
15:00
To Win (80 Mins)
Italy 13/2
Draw 35/1
Australia 1/14
Handicap
Italy (+18) 9/10
Australia (-18) 9/10
*Forecast Handicaps
Italy
The Azzurri were actually decent value last weekend as they saw off a determined Georgia 28-17 out in Florence. Not only did Connor O’Shea’s men clear the early prescribed handicap, they also went some way to silencing pundits who had been questioning their presence in the Six Nations.
Last weekend’s victory was but a small ray of sunlight in what has been a rather dark season for Italian rugby. 2018 has seen the continental European side fail to win a game in Six Nations, lose to Japan out in Japan and suffer heavy defeats at the hands of Ireland (twice) and England.
This weekend could offer a bit of a reprieve for the European minnows as they are going up against a struggling Australian outfit. If they can keep the scoreline tight, then it would be a massive moral victory for them.
Australia
The Wallabies got their End of the Year campaign off to a dismal start as they went down 9-6 to Wales at the Millennium Stadium. The defeat has only strengthened the case for Michael Chieka’s departure, but can you really blame the Australian mentor for such a shoddy performance?
Cheika has made some questionable selections in the recent past but he can’t shoulder the burden for the Australian’s woeful year as his star players have failed to deliver the goods on multiple occasions.
He’s also got a very thin talent pool to choose from, and some of the young guns he’s shown faith in over the past two seasons have failed to live up to their potential.
Anyway, the Australian mentor will need a big showing from his charges during the remainder of this tour if he is to keep his job. A big victory over the Italians would be a great start but whether his men can pull this off is up for debate.
Verdict: Australia (-18) 9/10 *Forecast Handicaps
While the Aussies have been playing poor rugby this year I can still see them having a field day against an Italian side that struggles to defend midfield runners.
