Italy’s Nick Mallet announces the Azzurri’s final 30-man 2011 Rugby World Cup squad
Italy’s national rugby union team has announced their 30-man final squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) campaign. Azzurri’s national team head coach, Nick Mallet, presented his squad for the tournament on Friday, July 22. The Italian Rugby Union’s official
website has also confirmed the announcement of the squad, in a statement released on their website.
Mallet has selected the final 30-man squad at the end of Italy’s three week 2011 RWC training camp. He has named Stade Francais and Azzurri’s number eight, Sergio Parisse, as the captain for the 2011 RWC.
Mallet has also announced Stade Francais flanker, Mauro Bergamasco, in the final 30-man squad. Earlier, Bergamasco missed most of the season, including the 2011 RBS Six Nations, due to an injury to his shoulder.
However, Italy will be without the services of their star fly half, Craig Gower. The player has been ruled out of the tournament due to a knee injury.
Italy’s squad announced by Mallet on Friday includes 14 players who will make their Rugby World Cup debut during Italy’s 2011 RWC campaign. Meanwhile, Racing Metro’s prop, Andrea Lo Cicero and flanker Mauro Bergamasco, are the most experienced players named
in the squad. 2011 RWC will be the duo’s third World Cup appearance.
The 30-man squad has been instructed to report back, after a week’s break to start their pre-World Cup preparation games. Italy will host Japan at Cesena on August 13, which will be followed by their encounter against Scotland, at Edinburgh on August 20.
Italy’s final 30-man squad for their 2011 RWC campaign consists of,
Forwards: M Castrogiovanni (Leicester), L Cittadini (Treviso), A Lo Cicero (Racing-Metro),S Perugini (Aironi), T D'Apice (Roma), L Ghiraldini (Treviso), F Ongaro (Aironi), M Bortolami (Aironi), C Del Fava (Aironi), Q Geldenhuys (Aironi),
C Van Zyl (Treviso), R Barbieri (Treviso), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais), P Derbyshire (Treviso), S Parisse (Stade Francais), A Zanni (Treviso).
Backs: T Benvenuti (Treviso), Mirco Bergamasco (Racing-Metro) G Canale (Clermont), G Garcia (Treviso), A Masi (Racing-Metro), L McLean (Treviso), M Pratichetti (Aironi), A Sgarbi (Treviso), G Toniolatti (Aironi), P Canavosio (Aironi), E
Gori (Treviso), F Semenzato (Treviso), L Orquera (Brive), R Bocchino (Aironi).
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