Italy look to strike back from Japan rugby thrashing

KOBE, Japan: Italy have promised to hit back against Japan in their second rugby Test on Saturday after suffering a bloody nose in last weekend’s opener.The Brave Blossoms thumped the visitors 34-17 in Oita in the first game of a two-match series, and the Italians are anxious to avenge that heavy defeat by the 2019 World Cup hosts. “We’re in the best possible condition,” Italy captain Leonardo Ghiraldini told reporters on Friday.But Japan, who are ranked 11th in the world — three places above the Six Nations team — could once again prove a tough nut to crack and coach Jamie Joseph has called for improvement from his players.Meanwhile, Japan captain Michael Leitch warned against complacency. “That’s always a danger when you beat a team quite convincingly,” he told Kyodo news.

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