Australia vs Italy: Kick-off Time, Venue, TV Channel and Team News

The World Cup holders take on an Italy team likely heading home after today’s game.

Australia will be hoping to generate the momentum required ahead of the quarter-finals with a clash against Lebanon in the last eight awaiting.

Here’s everything you need to know about the game.

Kick-off time and venue

The game kicks off at 19:30 at St Helens’ Totally Wicked Stadium.

TV Coverage

TV coverage is available on BBC iPlayer and on the red button

Team News

Meninga has made a surprise decision in leaving out Cameron Munster. This is likely to give him a deserved rest ahead of the big games but it means that the two contenders for the halfback spot will likely partner together in the shape of Nathan Cleary and Daly Cherry-Evans. This is unconventional for an Australia team with defined roles for six and seven unlike the interchangeable nature of six and seven in England. Both are hoping to secure that number seven spot alongside Munster moving forward and it’ll be interesting to see how this pans out. Harry Grant is left out of the squad which will see Ben Hunt start at nine.

Australia
12 MATT BURTON
6 REAGAN CAMPBELL-GILLARD
13 PATRICK CARRIGAN
2 DALY CHERRY-EVANS
14 NATHAN CLEARY
15 LINDSAY COLLINS
16 REUBEN COTTER
18 TINO FA’ASUAMALEAUI
19 CAMPBELL GRAHAM
4 VALENTINE HOLMES
3 BEN HUNT
21 LIAM MARTIN
8 LATRELL MITCHELL
11 CAMERON MURRAY (VC)
22 JEREMIAH NANAI
23 MURRAY TAULAGI
1 JAMES TEDESCO (C)
10 JACK WIGHTON
24 ISAAH YEO (VC)

Italy have named as strong a squad as they can. They’ll be led by skipper Nathan Brown whilst hoping star winger Jake Maizen can shine.

Italy
Luke POLSELLI
Richard LEPORI
Daniel ATKINSON
Ethan NATOLI
Jake MAIZEN
Jack CAMPAGNOLO
Radean ROBINSON
Alec SUSINO
Dean PARATA
Anton IARIA
Brenden SANTI
Nathan BROWN
Joey TRAMONTANA
Luca MORETTI
Gioele CELERINO
Ronny PALUMBO
Kyle PICKERING
Luke HODGE
Jack COLOVATTI