The announcement of the list of 33 Italian players selected for the 2023 Rugby World Cup (September 8-October 28) has been postponed for ten days to August 22, the Italian Rugby Federation announced on Monday. The list was originally to be unveiled on Thursday. The Italian Federation did not give an explanation for this postponement, but it should allow management to assess the condition of players injured during the test match lost 33 to 17 against Ireland on Saturday in Dublin.
Saracens prop Marco Riccioni, substituted after just ten minutes, was hit in the left knee and Gloucester scrum-half Stephen Varney had to leave his team-mates after the first half with a left shoulder injury . “Riccioni and Varney will retake exams in the coming days to understand the evolution of their injury and the duration of their unavailability,” said Federugby in a statement released earlier on Monday.
Another reason for concern, the center or winger of Treviso Tommaso Menoncello, injured in the left shoulder. Finally, the center or winger of Treviso Paolo Odogwu and Manuel Zuliani, 3rd line also from Treviso, must satisfy the concussion protocol. Italy will face in Group A of the 2023 World Cup France, New Zealand, Namibia and Uruguay.
