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Italy with full squad to pick from against Ireland

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Italy will be able to pick from a full squad as they prepare for their Guinness Six Nations Round 3 clash with Ireland in Rome.

Italy will be able to pick from a full squad as they prepare for their Guinness Six Nations Round 3 clash with Ireland in Rome.

The Azzurri welcome Ireland to the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday in search of their first win of the campaign following defeats to France and England.

And Franco Smith will be able to choose from a fully fit squad with those players in club action over the weekend all coming through their games unscathed.

Tommaso Allan and Stephen Varney were among those who were released back to their clubs this weekend but with the squad having rejoined camp and come through the latest round of Covid testing, training is now back underway.

“The squad is currently complete: all the players arrived in the capital after their respective club engagements. The negative results of their tests has allowed us to carry out training as per usual,” said team manager Luigi Troiani.

Trulla: Italy squad improving all the time

The squad features three uncapped players, hooker Marco Manfredi, second row Riccardo Favretto and centre Pierre Bruno.

They also welcome back Marco Zanon, who missed the game in England, while Cherif Traorè is also available having been a late withdrawal from the opening fixture against France.

Italy squad to prepare for Ireland clash:

Props

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 TRAORE’ (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps) Giosuè ZILOCCHI (Zebre Rugby Club, 12 caps)

Hookers

Luca BIGI (Zebre Rugby Club, 34 caps) – captain Gianmarco LUCCHESI (Benetton Rugby, 4 caps) Marco MANFREDI (Zebre Rugby Club, uncapped)

Second row

Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 10 caps) Riccardo FAVRETTO (Mogliano Rugby 1969, uncapped) Marco LAZZARONI (Benetton Rugby, 13 caps) David SISI (Zebre Rugby Club, 13 caps)

Back row

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)

Scrum-halves

Callum BRALEY (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps) Guglielmo PALAZZANI (Zebre Rugby Club, 43 caps) Stephen VARNEY (Gloucester Rugby, 5 caps)

Fly-halves

Tommaso ALLAN (Benetton Rugby, 61 caps) Carlo CANNA (Zebre Rugby Club, 49 caps) Paolo GARBISI (Benetton Rugby, 7 caps)

Outside backs

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)