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Bath star among 8 rookies named in 39-man Italy squad

Martin Page-Relo celebrates victory with teammate Paolo Garbisi of Italy after defeating Wales during the Guinness Six Nations 2024 match between Wales and Italy at the Principality Stadium on March 16, 2024 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Federugby via Getty Images)

Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada has announced a preliminary squad of 39 players for a training camp in L’Aquila from 19 to 22 June ahead of their 2024 summer tour.

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This will be Italy’s first overseas tour since 2018. Out of the 39 athletes listed, 33 will attend the camp. The training in L’Aquila marks a return to the city for the first time since 2015 and an open training session for the public has been scheduled for 21 June.

The squad includes eight debutants, with five receiving their first call-up: Zebre Parma prop Muhamed Hasa, hooker Giampietro Ribaldi, Castres hooker Loris Zarantonello, Oyonnax flanker David Odiase and Bath full-back Matt Gallagher.

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Damian de Allende talks about the plaudits heaped on him by his teammates

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    Damian de Allende talks about the plaudits heaped on him by his teammates

    Gallagher previously played for Saracens and Munster and is moving to URC side Benetton next season.

    Giulio Marini, previously unable to join due to injury, is also included. Also returning to the squad are François Mey, Giovanni Montemauri and Jacopo Trulla – with the latter rejoining after two years out.

    Injured players Federico Mori, Lorenzo Pani and Dino Lamb are unavailable.

    “We have chosen a quality, strong and very balanced squad for this Summer Tour,” said Quesada. “We know the value of our opponents, especially when they play at home: they won’t be easy games.

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    “This tour comes at the end of a very long season that still sees Benetton Rugby involved in the playoffs in the URC 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 proven and experienced group – as in the recent past have been for example Vintcent, Izekor or Lynagh – with the dual 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 is part of the growth path we have set 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 areas where we know we can do even better.”

    The team will depart for Auckland on 22 June. Italy will play test matches against Samoa in Apia, Tonga in Nuku’Alofa, and Japan in Sapporo on 5, 12, and 21 July, respectively.

    PROPS:
    Simone Ferrari – Benetton Rugby
    Danilo Fischetti – Zebre Parma
    Muhamed Hasa – Zebre Parma
    Marco Riccioni – Saracens
    Mirco Spagnolo – Benetton Rugby
    Giosuè Zilocchi – Benetton Rugby

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    HOOKERS:
    Gianmarco Lucchesi – Benetton Rugby
    Giacomo Nicotera – Benetton Rugby
    Giampiero Ribaldi – Zebre Parma
    Loriz Zarantonello – Castres

    LOCKS:
    Niccolò Cannone – Benetton Rugby
    Riccardo Favretto – Benetton Rugby
    Edoardo Iachizzi – Benetton Rugby
    Federico Ruzza – Benetton Rugby
    Andrea Zambonin – Zebre Parma

    BACK ROW:
    Lorenzo Cannone – Benetton Rugby
    Alessandro Izekor – Benetton Rugby
    Michele Lamaro – Benetton Rugby
    Giulio Marini – Mogliano Veneto Rugby
    Sebastian Negri – Benetton Rugby
    David Odiase – Oyonnax
    Ross Vintcent – Exeter
    Manuel Zuliani – Benetton Rugby

    SCRUMHALFS:
    Alessandro Garbisi – Benetton Rugby
    Martin Page-Relo – Lione
    Stephen Varney – Gloucester

    FLY-HALFS:
    Paolo Garbisi – Toulon
    Leonardo Marin – Benetton Rugby
    Giovanni Montemauri – Zebre Parma

    CENTRES
    Juan Ignacio Brex – Benetton Rugby
    Tommaso Menoncello – Benetton Rugby
    François Mey – Clermont
    Marco Zanon – Benetton Rugby

    BACK THREE:
    Ange Capuozzo – Stade Toulousain
    Matt Gallagher – Bath Rugby
    Simone Gesi – Zebre Parma
    Monty Ioane – Lione
    Louis Lynagh – Harlequins
    Jacopo Trulla – Zebre Parma

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    JW 3 hours ago
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    Agree re Lynagh.


    Disagree Beaver got it wrong. Blues made that look easy. It might be a brawn over brains picture though? More in the last point, but, and this may have changed by player selection, the Reds were very lucky this game. Tele’a should not have been red carded as Ryan landed on his shoulder, and both Tate and Jock (was it) should have been yellowed carded for their offenses in stopping tries. We also had a try dissallowed by going back 10 phases in play. We all should have learned after the RWC that that is against the rules. So straight away on this simple decisions alone the result changes to go in the Blues favour, away from home and playing fairly poorly. The sleeping giant if you will. I didn’t agree with the Blues take either tbh, but to flip it around and say it’s the Reds instead is completely inaccurate (though a good side no doubt you have to give them a chance).


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