Italy have suffered a major injury setback ahead of next month’s Nations Championship, with one of their key attacking players ruled out of the tournament.
Tommaso Menoncello, 24, was left out of Italy’s squad after suffering a shoulder injury while playing for Toulouse in Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup win over Exeter. Menoncello lasted just six minutes before being forced off.
Azzurri coach Gonzalo Quesada will also be without scrumhalf Martin Page-Relo, loose forward Sebastian Negri and Zebre fullback Lorenzo Pani for the matches against the Springboks, Argentina and Fiji. The Nations Championship concludes with a series of matches to determine the final standings from 27 to 29 November.
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Quesada acknowledged the challenge posed by the injuries but said they would also create opportunities for younger players to make their mark.
“We know that major challenges await us this year, starting with the injuries to several players who are very important for our team,” the former Argentina flyhalf said in a statement released by the Italian Rugby Federation.
“But one year out from the Rugby World Cup, I also see these difficulties as a great opportunity to give playing time to some young players who represent the future of the national team. And, above all, to test our character by facing, for four consecutive weeks, four of the best teams in the world.”
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Italy squad
Forwards: Niccolo Cannone, Lorenzo Cannone, Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, Simone Ferrari, Danilo Fischetti, Muhamed Hasa, Michele Lamaro, Samuele Locatelli, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Mattia Midena, Giacomo Nicotera, Enoch Opoku Gyamfi, Alessandro Ortombina, Marco Riccioni, Federico Ruzza, Mirco Spagnolo, Ross Vintcent, Manuel Zuliani.
Backs: Tommaso Allan, Mirko Belloni, Juan Ignacio Brex, Ange Capuozzo, Alessandro Fusco, Matt Gallagher, Alessandro Garbisi, Paolo Garbisi, Monty Ioane, Louis Lynagh, Leonardo Marin, Damiano Mazza, Giovanni Montemauri, Federico Mori, Paolo Odogwu, Stephen Varney.
– AFP
Photo: @El_toulous1/X
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Italy have suffered a major injury setback ahead of next month’s Nations Championship, with one of their key attacking players ruled out of the tournament.
The post Azzurri lose star centre for Bok clash appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
