Nick Mallet announces 43-man Italian provisional squad for 2011 Rugby World Cup
Italy international rugby union team’s head coach, Nick Mallet, has announced the 43-man provisional squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC). The Italians will be heading for New Zealand, the hosts of the 2011 RWC, which kicks-off
in September 2011.
Mallet announced today the provincial squad after observing the performances of the players in the recently concluded domestic competition. Mallet announced the team on Tuesday, May 31, after completion of the second of the two
meetings held at Parma and Cesena to finalise the 2011 RWC squad.
Speaking on the occasion, Mallet expressed his confidence over the announced squad. He said, “I am convinced that these 43 players represent the elite of the Italian rugby movement.”
The Azzurri’s coach has made a few surprise moves in the announcement of the team particularly as he has left out the New Zealand born Josh Sole. Aironi’s flanker Sole has represented Italy in 47 international matches. He was part
of the team that participated in the 2011 RBS Six Nations tournament.
Additionally, Mallet has named the injured Stade Francais flanker Mauro Bergamsco in the provisional squad. Mauro Bergamsco is recovering from a shoulder injury and has not participated in the game for a few months now.
Mauro Bergamsco has been named in the Italy A’s team to participate in the Churchill Cup starting June 4, in England. Mallet expressed hope that Bergamsco will recover before the start of the cup and will justify his place in the
squad with his on-field performance.
After his announcement from the international matches for Italy’s international, Santiago Dellape, is left out of the squad. Besides their training and conditional camps during the month of July, Italy will play with Japan and
Scotland as part of their pre-World Cup preparations. Italy will host Japan on August 13 and play against Scotland at Edinburgh on August 20.
Italy is placed in Pool C alongside Australia, Ireland, Russia and USA. Italy will kick-start their 2011 campaign against the Australia on September 11, at North Harbour Stadium, Auckland.
Italy will take on Russia, USA and Ireland on 20th September, 27th September and 2nd October at Nelson and Trafalgar respectively.
The squad announced includes:
Forwards: Lorenzo Cittadini (Benetton Treviso), Alberto de Marchi (Aironi), Salvatore Perugini (Aironi), Tommaso D'Apice (Rome), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso), Fabio Ongaro (Aironi), Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro), Carlo Festuccia
(Racing-Metro), Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester), Valerio Bernabo (Benetton Treviso), Joshua Furno (Aironi), Quintin Geldenhuys (Aironi), Marco Bortolami (Aironi), Carlo Antonio del Fava (Aironi), Cornelius Van Zyl (Benetton Treviso), Robert Barbieri (Benetton
Treviso), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais), Paul Derbyshire (Benetton Treviso), Manoa Vosawai (Benetton Treviso), Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais)
Backs: Pablo Canavosio (Aironi), Fabio Semenzato (Benetton Treviso), Edoardo Gori (Treviso), Riccardo Bocchino (Aironi), Kristopher Burton (Treviso) Tommaso Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso), Gonzalo Garcia (Benetton Treviso), Luciano Orquera
(Aironi), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont Auvergne), Durandt Gerber (Gran Parma), Denis Majstorovic (Prato), Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso), Gilberto Pavan (Aironi), Mirco Bergamasco (Racing-Metro), Andrea Masi (Aironi), Andrea Pratichetti (Benetton Treviso), Matteo
Pratichetti (Aironi), Michele Sepe (Benetton Treviso), Alberto Sgarbi (Benetton Treviso), Giulio Toniolatti (Benetton Treviso), Ruggero Trevisan (BMP Parma).
Tags: