Australia and Italy in Perth: a match of pressure, reaction and a new beginning
Australia and Italy arrive in Perth with different, but equally heavy burdens. The home team is looking to end a negative run and to win at the end of Joe Schmidt's tenure, while Italy wants to show that the victories over the Wallabies in 2022 and 2025 were not isolated flashes. HBF Park, a rectangular stadium in the central part of Perth, gets a match that has far more meaning for both sides than an ordinary third round.
The match is part of the Nations Championship, a new international competition in which teams from the northern and southern hemispheres play in two phases, with summer and autumn windows. Australia remained without a victory in the first two rounds: first it lost to Ireland 31-33 in Sydney, then to France 26-42 in Brisbane after leading 21-12 at half-time. Italy opened with a 10-27 defeat away to Japan, and then lost to New Zealand 17-47 in Wellington.
Ticket sales for this match are in progress. For fans travelling to Perth, the wider programme of the day is also important: HBF Park has announced that the semi-final of the Super Rugby Women's competition will also be played earlier that same day, before the main evening match Australia - Italy.
What is at stake for Australia
For Australia, this match is a test of character. Two defeats in the first two rounds are not equally painful, but they have the same pattern: the Wallabies had periods in which they looked dangerous, and then they gave way in the key minutes. Against Ireland, the finish decided it. Against France, the second part was especially painful, in which the French team took over the rhythm, accelerated the flow of the ball and punished Australian mistakes.
Joe Schmidt leads his last match as Wallabies head coach in Perth. That changes the tone of the whole week. This is not only a fight for points in the Nations Championship, but also a farewell to a coaching period in which Australia tried to stabilise its game after turbulent seasons. A victory would at least calm the atmosphere before the continuation of the year and the transition toward the Les Kiss era.
Australia's problem is not a lack of individual quality. Fraser McReight scored two tries against France and once again showed how important he is at the breakdown. Harry Wilson carries the captain's responsibility from the back row. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii gives the team the dimension of a powerful ball carrier in the outside line, while Tom Wright brings speed and the ability to attack space from the back line.
But against Italy it will not be enough to have 30 good minutes. Australia must play steadily from the first to the last siren. Italy has, in the last four years, become a team that punishes drops in concentration, especially if it gets an opportunity through penalties, the maul and quick transfer of the ball toward the centres.
Australian themes before Perth
- Carter Gordon has been ruled out of the match against Italy because of a calf injury, which opens additional questions around the fly-half position.
- Tom Hooper is also out of contention after a shoulder problem.
- Declan Meredith was given a chance at fly-half against France and remains an important option in the final part of the July window.
- James Slipper returned to the national squad after a call-up ahead of the Nations Championship, which brings experience to the front row.
- Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson remain key for the speed of work on the ground and defence around the ruck.
Italy arrives as a team that no one may underestimate anymore
Italy is no longer an opponent against whom points are entered in advance. Gonzalo Quesada, after taking over the national team, brought a more pragmatic and tougher style: a better set-piece, better work without the ball and a clearer structure in defence. In the 2026 Six Nations, Italy finished fourth, and the victory against England in Rome was one of the results that changed the way this generation is viewed.
The Nations Championship did not begin ideally. The 10-27 defeat to Japan was a blow because Japan played faster and more directly, and Italy failed to turn possession into a sufficient number of points. In Wellington, against New Zealand, it tried for a long time to withstand the tempo, but in the second half space opened up for the All Blacks and the result went to 47-17.
Still, caution is needed. Italy has players who can break open a match without long possession. Paolo Garbisi directs the rhythm and punishes imprecise discipline. Tommaso Menoncello is a physically powerful centre who can win contact and then extend the attack. Juan Ignacio Brex gives stability in the middle of the field. Michele Lamaro carries energy in defence, while Federico Ruzza and Lorenzo Cannone are important in the lineout and in contact work.
Italy is not coming to Perth only to defend the result. If Australia again enters a period of nervousness, Quesada's team has enough weapons to turn the match into an uncomfortable, slow and exhausting duel.
Confirmed Italian absences and squad context
- Simone Ferrari was not among the players for the July series because of injury.
- Sebastian Negri was also not on the list because of injury, which reduces strength and experience in the back row.
- Martin Page-Relo was not available for this cycle.
- Manuel Zuliani, Giosuè Zilocchi and Edoardo Todaro were also listed among the players who were not considered because of injuries.
- Among those called up are Paolo Garbisi, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane, Louis Lynagh, Michele Lamaro and Federico Ruzza.
Head-to-head record: history is Australian, but the latest trend is not
In the long term, Australia has a large advantage in head-to-head meetings with Italy. But the psychologically most important piece of information for Perth is not the overall history, but the last two matches. Italy beat Australia 28-27 in Florence in 2022, and then won 26-19 in Udine in 2025. That means the Wallabies enter this encounter with a clear motive for revenge, but also with pressure to end a losing run against an opponent that until recently had been in the role of outsider.
That change in the relationship is especially important for the crowd. Fans will not watch a match in which the host only needs to wait for Italy's mistakes. Australia will have to impose the rhythm, but also remain patient enough not to gift Italy a way into the match through easy penalties.
The latest head-to-head direction
- Italy beat Australia 26-19 in Udine in 2025.
- Italy beat Australia 28-27 in Florence in 2022.
- Australia won 26-7 in Padua in 2018.
- Australia won 40-27 in Brisbane in 2017.
This list explains well why Perth is awkward to predict. Australia has the home field and individual strength, but Italy has fresh proof that it can win this match.
Tactical framework: Wallabies speed against Italian structure
Australia will probably try to open the match aggressively, with a lot of work around the 9-10 area and quick carrying of the ball toward Suaalii, Wright and the outside wings. If Italy begins to retreat, the Wallabies can gain metres through powerful carriers in the middle and then spread the game toward the edge.
The key for the home team will be discipline. In the first two rounds, Australia showed that it can attack at high speed, but also that it can lose control when the match begins to break through penalties, yellow cards or a poor exit from its own half. Against Italy, such mistakes often mean Garbisi's kick toward the posts or a lineout deep in the danger zone.
Italy will seek a slower, firmer match. That does not mean passive play. The Italian plan usually has a clear logic: win territory, force the opponent into a ruck under pressure, attack with the maul when a lineout is won and then use Garbisi as the organiser. Menoncello and Brex in the middle can slow the Australian defence because they attack at good angles, while wings like Monty Ioane and Louis Lynagh can punish a wrong defensive decision.
The most interesting duel could be precisely in the rhythm of the match. If Australia gets quick ball and links several phases without an error, HBF Park can become a difficult ground for Italy. If Italy lowers the number of open transitions and takes the match into contact, the home team will have to show the patience that it lacked in some earlier finishes.
HBF Park and Perth: a compact ground for intense rugby
HBF Park is located at 310 Pier St, Perth, in an area close to the city centre. It is a rectangular stadium that regularly hosts rugby, rugby league and football, which is important for the atmosphere: the stands are closer to the field than at large oval stadiums, so contact, kicks and player communication are felt more directly.
Perth is especially interesting for this encounter because it combines the local rugby crowd, travellers from other Australian cities and the Italian community in Western Australia. HBF Park has announced that Italy returns to Australia after almost a decade for this duel, and an additional local layer is also provided by the fact that some Australian players are connected with the Western Force and rugby in Perth.
Seats in the stands disappear quickly when an evening international test, a farewell tone for Schmidt and a match against an opponent that recently beat the Wallabies twice come together. For spectators who want to feel the match up close, HBF Park is a logical choice: there is no feeling of a distant, neutral stadium, but of a compact space in which every kick and every defence along the touchline can be heard clearly.
Practical information for arrival
- The stadium address is HBF Park, 310 Pier St, Perth WA 6000.
- The stadium is close to the centre of Perth, so public transport is a more practical choice than looking for parking at the last minute.
- HBF Park states that a ticket for the event includes travel on Transperth services three hours before, during and three hours after the event.
- Train, bus or ferry can be used for arrival, with route planning through the Transperth network.
- Parking around the stadium is limited, so for drivers it is wise to check available public garages and drop-off zones earlier.
What kind of atmosphere can fans expect
An evening with plenty of nerves is expected, but also with good reason for loud support. Australia is under pressure because of the results, but that often strengthens the atmosphere. The crowd will demand an energetic start, a clear response after the defeat to France and a match in which a reaction in contact can be seen.
Italy will have its fans, especially because of the Italian community in Perth and the international character of the event. That can create a different stadium sound: not only home pressure on the referee and the opponent, but also moments in which support for the Azzurri will be heard, especially if Garbisi begins to collect points or if the Italian maul gains momentum.
For neutral spectators, this is a good match because it has a clear story. Australia must win to stop the decline and close Schmidt's period with a victory. Italy wants a third consecutive victory in head-to-head matches and confirmation that its rise is real. This is not a match without context, but a match in which the past, form and pressure come together in 80 minutes.
It is worth securing tickets in time, especially for spectators who want to connect the earlier programme of the day and the evening test in one visit to the stadium.
Players to watch especially closely
For Australia, Fraser McReight is a player who can change the match without much warning. His speed on the ball forces opponents to clean the ruck more precisely and with more people, and that opens space for the rest of the defence. Harry Wilson has similar importance, but from a different role: as captain and powerful carrier, he must set the tone in contact and keep the team calm when the score tightens.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will be under the spotlight every time he gets the ball in space. Italy will try to stop him before he develops his stride, because once he breaks the first contact, the Australian outside line can quickly change the side of attack. Tom Wright is a different type of threat: dangerous from deep, especially when the opponent sets a poor kick chase.
For Italy, Paolo Garbisi is the conductor. If he has clean ball and disciplined protection in front of him, he can lead the match toward the Italian rhythm. Tommaso Menoncello is the most important carrier of the physical threat in the middle. Juan Ignacio Brex gives him balance, while Monty Ioane and Louis Lynagh bring finishing on the edges of the field.
Up front, Michele Lamaro and Federico Ruzza will be among the players who decide whether Italy will withstand Australian pressure. If the Italian lineout is secure, and the breakdown clean enough, Australia will not get an easy flow of ball.
Why this match matters beyond the result itself
The Nations Championship is designed to give more weight to the July and November windows. In that sense, Australia - Italy in Perth perfectly shows why the format makes sense: the match brings together a team under pressure, a rising national side, a change in the coaching cycle and a head-to-head run that has changed expectations.
For Australia, a defeat would open even more uncomfortable questions before the continuation of the season. For Italy, a victory in Perth would be confirmation that this is no longer only about home successes in Europe, but about the ability to win a big away match in the southern hemisphere. Even a narrow defeat, if it comes with a quality performance, could confirm that Italy remains competitive against teams that kept it at a safe distance for years.
Fans therefore are not coming only to watch the third round. They are coming to watch a match in which Australia must respond, Italy must confirm growth, and HBF Park gets a rugby evening with clear sporting stakes. Tickets for this encounter are in demand among fans, especially because Perth rarely gets such a complex international test with a current story on both sides.
Sources:
- HBF Park - information about the Australia - Italy event, location, double programme and visitor information.
- Rugby Australia / Wallabies - information about the Australian squad, injuries, Joe Schmidt's role and matches against Ireland and France.
- Federazione Italiana Rugby - Italy's list for the Nations Championship and confirmed absences due to injuries.
- RugbyPass and Ultimate Rugby - results of the first rounds, latest head-to-head encounters and team form.
- Six Nations Rugby - report on Italy's 26-19 victory against Australia in Udine in 2025.
- World Rugby and Nations Championship - competition context, ranking system and round schedule.