Nick Mallet announces Italy’s match 22 for World Cup warm up match against Japan - Rugby
Italian national rugby union team, also known as the Azzurri’s, has announced their 22-man squad for their first of two pre-World Cup matches. Azzurri’s head coach, Nick Mallet, provided the
details of the squad on Thursday, August 11.
Italy will host Japan at Cesena on Saturday, August 13th in the first warm up match. They will play their second game against Scotland at Edinburg, on Saturday, August 20.
Mallet’s match 22 for Japan is a combination of youth and experience. However, he has announced a relatively inexperienced back line.
The backline includes Julius Toniolatti at right-winger position (5 caps), Alberto Sgarbi at outside centre position (12 caps), Matteo Pratichetti at inside centre position (22 caps), Tommaso
Benvenuti at left winger position (6 caps).
The halfback pairs combined test caps are nine. Estra Knights Meadow’s Riccardo Bocchino will start the match as the fly half position. While Benetton Treviso’s Edoardo Gori, will start the
game at scrumhalf position. The duo of Bocchino and Gori has 6 and 3 caps respectively.
The forwards line mostly consists of experienced players, except for the Benetton Treviso’s utility forward Lorenzo Citizens. Citizens, so far has four international caps and will start the
match at the number four position.
Additionally, Mallet has named two debutants in the match 22. This includes MPS Herons’ Thomas Apex and Benetton Treviso’s Cornelius Van Zyl. Apex and Van Zyl will start the match from the
bench.
Mallet has urged the players to make most of the opportunity and deliver good performances on the field.
Italy’s squad for their weekend encounter against the Japan consists of,
Starting XV: 15 Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso, 28 caps), 14 Julius Toniolatti (MPS Herons, 5 caps), 13 Alberto Sgarbi (Benetton Treviso, 12 caps) , 12 Matteo Pratichetti (MPS
Herons, 22 caps) , 11 Tommaso Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso, 6 caps), 10 Riccardo Bocchino (Estra Knights Meadow, 6 caps), 9 Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso, 3 caps) , 8 Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais, 77 caps) – Captain, 7 Mauro Bergamasco (84 caps) , 6 Alessandro
Zanni (Benetton Treviso, 52 caps) , 5 Marco Bortolami (MPS Herons, 84 caps) ,4 Quintin Geldenhuys (MPS Herons, 21 caps), 3 Lorenzo CITIZENS (Benetton Treviso, 4 caps), 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso, 37 caps), 1 Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing-Metro Paris,
86 caps).
Replacements: 16 Thomas APEX (MPS Herons, rookie) , 17 Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester Tigers, 76 caps) , 18 Cornelius Van Zyl (Benetton Treviso, rookie) , 19 Paul Derbyshire
(Benetton Treviso, 10 caps) , 20 Pablo Canavosio (Cammi Calvisano, 36 caps) , 21 Luciano ORQUERA (MPS Herons, 22 caps) , 22 Gonzalo Canale (Clermont-Auvergne, 66 caps).
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