Kieran Crowley formalized this Tuesday the list of 33 Italians who will compete in the World Cup (September 8 – October 28). Among them, five elements already playing in the Top 14: Pietro Ceccarelli (Perpignan), Martin Page-Relo (Lyon), Tomaso Allan (Perpignan), Paolo Garbisi (Montpellier) and Ange Capuozzo (Toulouse). The future Lyonnais Monty Ioane is also present.
“What guided our choices is the ability of the players selected to be able to occupy several positions, this broadens our possibilities,” explained the New Zealand coach, in a press release from the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR). Crowley, who will leave his post after the World Cup in France and will be replaced by Argentinian Gonzalo Quesada, has retained 16 players from Treviso. And 24 players will play a World Cup for the first time.
Among the absentees, we note mainly those of the back Edoardo Padovani and the center Tommaso Menoncello, injured.
Placed in the pool of France, Italy will start against Namibia, Uruguay, New Zealand, and will end its group stage against the Blues, Lyon.
ForwardsPietro Ceccarelli (Perpignan/FRA), Simone Ferrari (Benetton Trevise), Danilo Fischetti (Zebre Parma), Ivan Nemer (Benetton Trevise), Marco Riccioni (Saracens/ENG) Federico Zani (Benetton Trevise), Luca Bigi (Zebre Parma), Epalahame Faiva (sans club), Giacomo Nicotera (Benetton Trevise), Niccolò Cannone (Benetton Trevise), Dino Lamb (Harlequins/ANG), Federico Ruzza (Benetton Trevise), David Sisi (Zebre Parme), Lorenzo Cannone (Benetton Trevise), Toa Halafihi (Benetton Trevise), Michele Lamaro (Benetton Trevise/captain), Sebastian Negri (Benetton Trevise), Giovanni Pettinelli (Benetton Trevise), Manuel Zuliani (Benetton Trevise).
Backs Alessandro Fusco (Zebre Parme), Alessandro Garbisi (Benetton Trevise), Martin Page-Relo (LOU/FRA), Stephen Varney (Gloucester/ANG), Tommaso Allan (Perpignan/FRA), Giacomo Da Re (Benetton Trevise), Paolo Garbisi (Montpellier/FRA), Juan Ignacio Brex (Benetton Trévise), Luca Morisi (sans club), Pierre Bruno (Zebre Parme), Ange Capuozzo (Stade Toulouse/FRA), Monty Ioane (LOU/FRA), Paolo Odogwu (Benetton Trévise ), Lorenzo Pani (Zebre Parma).