Italy’s Round 3 preparations have begun in earnest, as they ready themselves for a tilt at a first victory of the 2021 Guinness Six Nations against Ireland at the Stadio Olimpico on February 27.
The Azzurri got this year’s campaign underway at home to France, with Luca Sperandio crashing over 15 minutes from time in a 50-10 defeat.
Despite ultimately going down 41-18 on their travels at Twickenham last time out, an early Monty Ioane score gave Eddie Jones’ defending champions a real scare while Tommaso Allan’s second-half try meant there were plenty of positives for boss Franco Smith to take from the clash.
Benetton fly-half Allan – alongside Riccardo Favretto, Callum Braley, Mattia Bellini, Pierre Bruno, Marco Manfredi, Stephen Varney and Pietro Ceccarelli – will link up with the Italy squad over the weekend following domestic duty.
The rest of the team – joined by guest scrum-half Marcello Violi – were reunited on Thursday ahead of the first training session a day later, as Smith plots a route past Andy Farrell’s Irishmen.
The 2018 Grand Slam winners are themselves itching for a win in this year’s Championship, having gone down to Wales and France 21-16 and 15-13 respectively, so far.
Italy team manager Luigi Troiani said: “The team have begun their preparation for the match against Ireland, having met up at the NH Collection Roma Vittorio Veneto.
“On Sunday the group will be supplemented by the arrival of the players left at the disposal of their clubs for their respective league engagements.”
Italy training squad
Forwards
Pietro Ceccarelli (Brive, 14 caps)
Danilo Fischetti (Zebre Rugby Club, 10 caps)
Andrea Lovotti (Zebre Rugby Club, 44 caps)
Marco Riccioni (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps)
Cherif Traorè (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps)
Giosuè Zilocchi (Zebre Rugby Club, 12 caps)
Luca Bigi (Zebre Rugby Club, 34 caps) – captain
Gianmarco Lucchesi (Benetton Rugby, 4 caps)
Marco Manfredi (Zebre Rugby Club, uncapped)
Niccolò Cannone (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps)
Riccardo Favretto (Mogliano Rugby 1969, uncapped)
Marco Lazzaroni (Benetton Rugby, uncapped)
David Sisi (Zebre Rugby Club, 13 caps)
Michele Lamaro (Benetton Rugby, 4 caps)
Maxime Mbanda (Zebre Rugby Club, 26 caps)
Johan Meyer (Zebre Rugby Club, 11 caps)
Sebastian Negri (Benetton Rugby, 30 caps)
Federico Ruzza (Benetton Rugby, 21 caps)
Backs
Callum Braley (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps)
Guglielmo Palazzani (Zebre Rugby Club, 43 caps)
Stephen Varney (Gloucester Rugby, 5 caps)
Marcello Violi (Zebre Rugby Club, 19 caps) – guest
Tommaso Allan (Benetton Rugby, 61 caps)
Carlo Canna (Zebre Rugby Club, 49 caps)
Paolo Garbisi (Benetton Rugby, 7 caps)
Mattia Bellini (Zebre Rugby Club, 28 caps)
Juan Ignacio Brex (Benetton Rugby, 2 caps)
Pierre Bruno (Zebre Rugby Club, uncapped)
Montanna Ioane (Benetton Rugby, 3 caps)
Federico Mori (Kawasaki Robot Calvisano, 6 caps)
Luca Sperandio (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps)
Jacopo Trulla (Kawasaki Robot Calvisano, 5 caps)
Marco Zanon (Benetton Rugby, 5 caps)
