Several new features in a group that will have to be limited to 33 units and which will be burdened by the clubs’ commitments
Italy: 39 pre-summoned to prepare for summer test matches – ph. Sebastiano Pessina
There are 39 players currently chosen by Gonzalo Quesada and the rest of the Italy staff in view of the L’Aquila meeting on June 19th.
An expanded list that takes into account the possible future commitments with the clubs of a good number of players, given that the URC and Top 14 seasons will be extended for a few more weeks due to the delayed start of the Rugby World Cup.
However, only 33 of the 39 pre-summoned players will go to L’Aquila, home of the Italian team’s rally on June 19th, with six names that will have to be cut even before starting work.
An expanded roster, therefore, that spares no surprises and novelties. There are eight debutants on the list, including two players with non-Italian training but eligible by descent: they are the Castres hooker Loris Zarantonello, born in 2000, and theutility back from Bath Matt Gallagher, 27, about to move to Benetton Rugby.
The other debutants are the Zebre prop Muhamed Hasa, a prop capable of covering both the role of right prop and that of left prop, his first-line teammate in the yellow and blue jersey Giampiero Ribaldi, the promising third line of Mogliano Giulio Marini, the former U20 national team David Odiase, number 10 Giovanni Montemauri, center born in 2003 François Mey.
Read also: Italy, eight debutants on the list: the identikit of the new Azzurri
Also back among the squad are Benetton second line Edoardo Iachizzi, who did not play in the last Six Nations, center Marco Zanon and the two Zebre backs Simone Gesi and Jacopo Trulla.
However, the attacking midfielders Mori and Pani and the second row Dino Lamb are unavailable due to injury.
“We have chosen a quality, strong and very balanced squad for this Summer Tour – said the head coach of the national team Gonzalo Quesada – We know the value of our opponents, especially when they play at home: they will not be easy matches.”
“This tour comes at the end of a very long season which still sees Benetton Rugby involved in the URC playoffs and the TOP14 with Capuozzo and Paolo Garbisi protagonists with their clubs.”
“The squad available will reflect the same principle as the Six Nations where some young players will be included within a tested and experienced group – as in the recent past, for example, Vintcent, Izekor or Lynagh – with the double objective of being seen for the present and for the future.”
“It will be a great opportunity for this group to live an important collective experience – the second of this new cycle – from a human and technical point of view and which fits into the growth path we have set for ourselves. I am confident that everyone in the group will use the context to develop our character, strengthen our team identity and improve our rugby specifically in the areas where we know we can do even better.”
The national team will fly to Auckland on Saturday 22 June which will be the Azzurri’s base for the first part of the Summer Tour. After the first two test matches against Samoa in Apia and against Tonga in Nuku’Alofa on 5 and 12 July the Azzurri will move in Tokyo on July 14th where they will begin preparing for the third and final match in Sapporo, Sunday 21st July, against Japan.
Italy: 39 pre-summoned to prepare for the summer test matches
Pylons
Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 53 caps)
Danilo FISCHETTI (Zebre Parma, 41 caps)
Muhamed HASA (Zebre Parma, debutant)
Marco RICCIONI (Saracens, 26 caps)
Mirco SPANISH (Benetton Rugby, 5 caps)
Giosuè ZILOCCHI (Benetton Rugby, 21 caps)
Hookers
Gianmarco LUCCHESI (Benetton Rugby, 22 caps)
Giacomo NICOTERA (Benetton Rugby, 23 caps)
Giampietro RIBALDI (Zebre Parma, debutant)
Loriz ZARANTONELLO (Castres, debutant)
Second Lines
Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 41 caps)
Riccardo FAVRETTO (Benetton Rugby, 3 caps)
Edoardo IACHIZZI (Benetton Rugby, 6 caps)
Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 54 caps)
Andrea ZAMBONIN (Zebre Parma, 7 caps)
Third Lines
Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 19 caps)
Alessandro IZEKOR (Benetton Rugby, 2 caps)
Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 38 caps)
Giulio MARINI (Mogliano Veneto Rugby, debutant)
Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 55 caps)
David ODIASE (Oyonnax, newcomer)
Ross VINTCENT (Exeter, 4 caps)
Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 21 caps)
Scrum midfielders
Alessandro GARBISI (Benetton Rugby 8 caps)
Martin PAGE-RELO (Lyon, 8 caps)
Stephen VARNEY (Gloucester, 29 caps)
Opening midfielders
Paolo GARBISI (Toulon, 36 caps)
Leonardo MARIN (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps)
Giovanni MONTEMAURI (Zebre Parma, debutant)
Centers
Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 35 caps)
Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
Francois MEY (Clermont, debutant)
Marco ZANON (Benetton Rugby, 14 caps)
Wingers/Fullbacks
Ange CAPUOZZO (Stade Toulousain, 19 caps)
Matt GALLAGHER (Bath Rugby, debutant)
Simone GESI (Zebre Parma, 1 cap)
Monty IOANE (Lyon 30 caps)
Louis LYNAGH (Harlequins, 2 caps)
Jacopo TRULLA (Zebre Parma, 8 caps)
Italy, the dates of the meeting and the test match calendar
June 19-22
Meeting in L’Aquila
July 5, Apia
Samoa v Italy
July 12, Nuku’Alofa
Tonga v Italy
July 21, Sapporo
Japan v Italy
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