Italrugby, anti-Samoa XV chosen
Italrugby, anti-Samoa XV chosen
Gonzalo Quesada, technical commissioner of the Italian men’s national rugby team, has chosen the XV for the opening match of the 2024 Summer Tour, scheduled in Apia on Friday, July 5 at 06 Italian time against hosts Samoa. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Uno and streamed on NOW.
It will be match number nine between the two teams, the third in Apia where the Samoan XV has never conceded a road to the Azzurri, with five previous in favor of Samoa and three of Italy. The match will be directed by New Zealand whistle Paul Williams. In the wide triangle debuts at fullback Matt Gallagher, freshly signed with Benetton Rugby and the fifth rookie under Quesada’s technical management, flanked on the wings by another new Lion like Louis Lynagh and veteran Monty Ioane. The Guinness Six Nations 2024 starting pair of centers, featuring Brex and the 2024 Tournament MVP Menoncello, will be tried and tested, while the keys to the midfield will once again be entrusted to Paolo Garbisi and Varney.
In the third line along with captain Lamaro, Vintcent and Izekor will start from the first minute, the latter included in the lineup after a rib problem suffered by Sebastian Negri in training. In the second line Ruzza and Niccolò Cannone, while in the first line Quesada chooses the’experience of the trio composed of Ferrari, Lucchesi and Fischetti.
Ready to take over from the bench Loris Zarantonello – another rookie on the competition list along with Gallagher – Spagnolo, Zilocchi, Iachizzi, Zuliani, Lorenzo Cannone, Page-Relo and Marin.
"The main challenge for us è was to regain all our automatisms and interconnections after four months without having the opportunity to work together with all the athletes coming from the habits of their clubs – stressed the Italrugby coach -. This Summer Tour comes at the conclusion of a very long season that began in June 2023 with the preparation for the RWC. The players have shown, as usual, good energy and great human quality".
"The’primary objective, in addition to the focus on our performance, è to manage the game according to how we prepared it, still going to improve various phases of the game. This Tour – in which we will have several adversities– to face – represents a new opportunity– for growth for the whole group going to further strengthen our team identity” concluded Gonzalo Quesada.
For the match against Samoa, Giacomo Nicotera, back from an earlier stop with his club, will not be available.
This is the schedule of Italy’s matches in the 2024 Summer Tour:
Samoa v Italy 05.07.24, Apia – 5 p.m. local (6 a.m. Italian)
Tonga v Italy 12.07.24, Nuku’Alofa – 3 pm local (4 Italian)
Japan v Italy 21.07.24, Sapporo – 2:05 pm local (7:05 am Italian)
This is the lineup that will take the field:
15 Matt GALLAGHER (Benetton Rugby, rookie)
14 Louis LYNAGH (Benetton Rugby, 2 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 35 caps)
12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
11 Monty IOANE (Lyon Olimpique, 30 caps)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Toulon RC, 36 caps)
9 Stephen VARNEY (Gloucester Rugby, 29 caps)
8 Ross VINTCENT (Exeter Chiefs, 4 caps)
7 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 38 caps) – captain
6 Alessandro IZEKOR (Benetton Rugby, 2 caps)
5 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 54 caps)
4 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 41 caps)
3 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 53 caps)
2 Gianmarco LUCCHESI (Benetton Rugby, 22 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (Zebre Parma, 41 caps)
available
16 Loris ZARANTONELLO (Castres, rookie)
17 Mirco SPAGNOLO (Benetton Rugby, 5 caps)
18 Giosuè ZILOCCHI (Benetton Rugby, 21 caps)
19 Edoardo IACHIZZI (Benetton Rugby, 6 caps)
20 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 21 caps)
21 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 19 caps)
22 Martin PAGE-RELO (Lyon Olimpique, 8 caps)
23 Leonardo MARIN (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps)
