Before the draw, head coach Conor O'Shea targeted escape from the pool stage for the first time in Italy's history, now that ambition looks like a distant dream.

Captain

Sergio Parisse (36, Flanker, 140 caps)

Player to watch

Sergio Parisse (36, Flanker, 140 caps) - The greatest Italian player and captain will bid farewell to the game at the conclusion of the tournament. A special player who could start for any side, of any era, in his prime. The face of Italian rugby will be at a record-equaling fifth World Cup and will leave a huge void in rugby in the country. The dream send-off would be a win over either South Africa or All Blacks and finally securing Italy a place in the quarterfinals.

What does success look like?

Avoiding cricket scores against the Boks and the All Blacks while comfortably putting away Canada">Canada and Namibia. The Italians will have to be tight in defense and clinical in attack to achieve these goals.

Canada

Rank: 22nd

Previous best: Quarterfinal

Canada finds itself in a strange place heading to Japan. Canadian rugby continues to suffer from underinvestment and dysfunctional management off-field. Coach Kingsley Jones has been in place for two years after the previous coach left after only a year and with many of the successful veterans of the previous World Cup no longer part of the team, Canada seems to be a team more in transition than peaking in their four-year cycle.

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