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O'Shea makes changes for France 6 Nations clash

13 Feb 2018

Italy coach Conor O'Shea

Italy coach Conor O’Shea has recalled George Biagi into the squad to face France in the Natwest 6 Nations, with Renato Giammarioli, Giovanni Licata and Giulio Bisegni also drafted in.

The Azzurri have been thumped 46-15 by England and 56-19 by Ireland in the first two matches of the tournament

O’Shea’s side will look to pull off an upset in Paris a week on Friday and have opted to bring back lock Biagi and flanker Giammarioli, who both featured against England but missed the match in Dublin.

Flanker Licata last played against South Africa in November, while centre Bisegni has not made an appearance since Italy’s 2017 Six Nations loss to England in February of that year.

Full-back Edoardo Padovani is still out with an ankle injury.

Italy squad:

Forwards: Luca Bigi, Dean Budd, Oliviero Fabiani, Simone Ferrari, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Andrea Lovotti, Maxime Mbanda, Sebastian Negri, Sergio Parisse (captain), Tiziano Pasquali, Nicola Quaglio, Marco Riccioni, Federico Ruzza, Abraham Steyn, Alexander Zanni.

Backs: Tomasso Allan, Mattia Bellini, Tomasso Benvenuti, Tomasso Boni, Carlo Canna, Tomasso Castello, Edoardo Gori, Jayden Hayward, Ian McKinley, Matteo Minozzi, Marcello Violi.

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SD 53 minutes ago

Erasmus invites 3 U20 stars into Bok squad as multiple RWC winners miss out

Tshituka was best player on the pitch for 2 games he played so can only assume he’s injured! Play him at 6 or 8. Good to get Pead and Jooste in the mix now as next World Cup they might be needed!

9 Go to comments

DP 55 minutes ago

The stat in which the Springboks outperformed everyone fivefold in July

in fact, it’s against the spirit of the game

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DP 55 minutes ago

The stat in which the Springboks outperformed everyone fivefold in July

That 15 percent in dominant tackles is against the spirit of the game.

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CP 57 minutes ago

'A series against the French would be one for the ages': Ex-Lions call for change

Would need to be France’s A team, something they haven’t used in the Summer for a few years. And how would you fit that in with the Top 14 season?

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SK 1 hour ago

Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

Player Welfare needs to be talked about more. Too many players are breaking down injured in the modern game. I dont think any single player can go through a rugby career these days without one serious injury that sends them to the surgeons table. Yes they are professionals but that does not mean you must flog them to death. With the risk of neurological diseases from repeated collisions now apparent the discussion is inevitable. Players need time to recover their bodies and minds after playing long gruelling seasons. With a club world cup being mooted and all sorts of other competitions or changes to competitions one wonders where the global season talk is at and where all of this is going to fit into the calendar? Rugby needs a serious discussion around player welfare. If you ask some players and coaches they will say look at the bench and the size of players today. The answer isnt banning the 7-1 or 6-2 split. Having a larger bench reduces injury risk as there is less minutes on the field. Its time for everyone to pull up their socks and get serious.

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Jacque 1 hour ago

Erasmus invites 3 U20 stars into Bok squad as multiple RWC winners miss out

We don’t need to worry TOO MUCH. I mean a few year ago Warren Whitely played at 8😂

9 Go to comments

SK 1 hour ago

Erasmus invites 3 U20 stars into Bok squad as multiple RWC winners miss out

The problem for the Boks will be the 8 man position and loose forwards. When you look at this squad you really wonder what the thinking is with respect to the loose forwards. I dont rate Cobus Wiese as a Springbok 8. He is a lock not an 8 and he is not a 7. He is too slow across the ground and doesnt have the necessary skillset for 7 or 8. Jean Luc Du Preez is an 8 but he has barely played at international level but deserves his chance. Then we have Kolisi, Smith and Van Staden who can all play 8 but Van Staden is a 6, Kolisi is a 6 who has alot of experience at 8 and can slot in there and Smith is your impact sub who covers multiple positions so I dont see him starting. Kolisi is also on the wane and no longer the same player. Yes Mostert can cover 7 and so can Nortje but Mostert is no spring chicken and is no longer suitable for that position and Nortje does not have the speed to cover the same ground as a natural 7 even if he hits alot of rucks and makes alot of tackles. Dickson is injured, Louw Injured, Roos who would be a natural not included, Wiese suspended and Tshituka has been added on standby only despite there being no 7 cover for Du Toit. So cant get my head around these loose forwards. What happened to Francke Horne as well? No room for him but is a natural 8 and plays well for Lions.

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Ed the Duck 1 hour ago

Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

Yep, that was the basis of my reference but I guess they could adjust the squad size, while retaining current jiff numbers, to accommodate the welfare issue if they are already seeing strong enough results from the ratios as they stand today.

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J Marc 2 hours ago

Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

For the first point , DAZN has 700000 subcribers in France and is a confidential channel. Canal+ just less than 10 millions in 2024. Canal has the full soccer european champions league and DAZN suks a bit.

For the second point, rugby seven was the first chance of gold medal for France and the Olympics soccer team was a B or C U23 team. Clubs did'nt release the players… does it remain you something ?

But ,comparing to Basket 2 french finals ,it is a very good score…

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fl 2 hours ago

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I’m right that he isn’t in the squad.

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DC 2 hours ago

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Nothing wrong with that,its time rinngrose/aki got a chance,tupilotu and jones had their chance,scored 1 try between them,aki is a better ball carrying 12 and ringrose has a better rugby brain than jones,if it doesnt workout can always switch back to tup/jones for final test

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MDL 2 hours ago

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Abs did pretty well at lineout and scrum vs Boks last year so…

8 Go to comments

NB 2 hours ago

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There are already reports of French clubs hoovering Aussie teenage talent and it made big waves down under https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250417-rugby-australia-hits-out-at-french-clubs-poaching-young-talent - big enough for Dan Herbert to come out and challenge the legality of the policy. Also they set up academy ‘shops’ in the Pac Islands a while back.

The sheer size of the Top 14 season wil demand squads as big as in the NFL in future, esp if they stick to their welfare guns more rigorously. That will mean more JIFF products and more young overseas ‘graduates’!

7 Go to comments

MDL 2 hours ago

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Why are we only interviewing Parsons when we have so many truly great front rowers with vastly more experience?

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PM 2 hours ago

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Bath let 3 hookers go this summer - Annett, Faiva & Stewart, which shows the confidence they have in Kepu. I also think Dunn could be a surprise retirement, his new 1 year contract is much lower money, so the question is does he go out as 1st choice No 2 on the back of a dream (treble) season, or does he stay one more season on reduced money and potentially end at 16 (or worse)?

I actually thought Dunn had his best season last year, so would be a fairytale ending if he took it and it deserves to be on his terms after everything he has given to the club.

LCD will be the starting No 2 by the next RWC but would help if ENG gave him 3 jumpers to throw at, as they have come under greater line out defence when there is only the two of them (and Martin is poor at the line out, so they hardly use him).

Hendy has steadily improved the last 2 seasons. He hit some decent form before the shoulder injury, which I think cost him a place in the 6N squad and this summer tour. He will need to hit the ground running with Saints and we’ll see in the AI’s. It will not help that Saints will need to manage rest periods for Mitchell & Smith, as they are not the same team without them, so hopefully start well and build momentum this season.

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MDL 2 hours ago

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Very shallow analysis: BB has good games (1st vs France greatly aided by McKenzie) and pretty average ones (2nd test vs France).

Due to age his speed is not what it was (2015 London) and his tactical kicking fails sometimes. A great servant but unlikely to guide us to winning in 27

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NB 2 hours ago

Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

Maybe in absolute terms you are right, but rugby is growing far more quickly - interesting pieces here…

https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/1gl9tn0/top_14_viewing_figures_2x_higher_than_ligue_1/

and

https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/1gutyjf/france_football_losing_in_popularity_compared/?rdt=50720

Food for thought.

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Hammer Head 2 hours ago

Erasmus invites 3 U20 stars into Bok squad as multiple RWC winners miss out

Can’t wait for you to be wrong. Again.

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SadersMan 2 hours ago

Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France

Yes, “competitive” is a more valid descriptor than “won”.

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J Marc 2 hours ago

Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

Just a point : in France, RU is still far less popular than soccer.It is the second more popular sport behind soccer with only the 10th number of registred members. I would say instead that french soccer is far less popular than english one, and the différence of popularity is smaller in France. But obviously, the effects are the same.

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