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Pez ready to rumble

Pez is all smiles ahead of Italy's clash with Romania

Having missed out on a starting berth in Italy's opening World Cup game, fly-half Ramiro Pez is delighted to be back in the side to take on Romania.

He is well aware that the pressure is firmly on both him and his team, anything but a win will all but end their quarter-final hopes.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," said the Argentina-born Pez, 28, to IRB.

"I'm very happy to be so close to playing a World Cup match.

"I'm in love with this sport and it is the only thing I think about all day. That's what gave me the strength to be able to get here."

He goes into the crucial match in peak physical condition following a series of injuries that seemed to have no end.

"I'm completely recovered," he revealed.

"It was a really tough year. I've suffered four fractures but despite all of that, I feel very well physically. I could say that today, I'm at the very top of my physical condition."

Some of the Italian squad are delighted at the chance to be playing again so soon after the drubbing by New Zealand, although Pez is not so sure.

"I think that for our squad it's very difficult to face another challenge so soon because there is very little time to recover and to sharpen the knife," he said.

"It's very important that we give our best in this match, because it could be the last chance. The world cup could be over for us if we lose."

One other matter is troubling him.

"I'm apart from my newly-born daughter Francesca (born in July) and I can assure you it's not something easy to do but this is part of my life, it's part of my job," he said.

"It is the sacrifice we have to make in order to be able to be here. And I'm quite happy to do it."