O’Shea names Italy squad for Americas tour

Toronto-born loose forward Robert Barbieri is one of 30 players named by Conor O’Shea to travel with Italy on their three-match tour to the Americas in June. Since making his debut in 2006, the former Canada u19 representative has won 39 caps for the Azzurri, including one previous test against his home nation at BMO Field in June 2012.

This will be the first trip in charge for O’Shea, who takes over from Jacques Brunel as Head Coach of Italy after leaving Aviva Premiership club Harlequins just a week ago. He will leave behind three of his most experienced forwards in Francesco Minto, Alessandro Zanni, and captain Sergio Parisse, with the trio left out to rest after a long season.

Martín Castrogiovanni is also absent, having retired from international duty following the Six Nations, and in fact there are no native Argentineans in the group. Matías Agüero has also retired from test duty and Gonzalo García is left out.

No tour captain has been named with Leicester hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini and Zebre lock Quintin Geldenhuys expected to share the duties, having each captained the Azzurri in previous internationals.

Ghiraldini is one of six players currently based outside Italy in the group. Wasps prop Lorenzo Cittadini, Glasgow Warriors flanker Simone Favaro, Perpignan flyhalf Tommaso Allan, Exeter centre Michele Campagnaro, and Newcastle winger Giovanbattista Venditti are the others.

Uncapped players include highly rated Treviso prop Simone Ferrari, Calvisano loose forward Maxime Mbandà, and midfield pair Tommaso Boni of zebre and Calvisano’s Tommaso Castello. Mbanda and Castello are two of three players from the Italian Eccellenza division in the squad, the third being Mogliano fullback David Odiete.

Not considered due to injury were Mattia Bellini, George Biagi, Joshua Furno, Andrea Manici, Luca Morisi, Edoardo Padovani, Michele Rizzo, Federico Ruzza, and Marcello Violi.

Italy will start their tour in Argentina, playing the Pumas in Santa Fe on June 11, followed by stops in San Jose on June 18 and finally Toronto on June 26.

FORWARDS
Pietro Ceccarelli (Zebre), Lorenzo Cittadini (Wasps), Simone Ferrari (Benetton Treviso), Andrea Lovotti (Zebre), Matteo Zanusso (Benetton Treviso), Oliviero Fabiani (Zebre), Ornel Gega (Benetton Treviso), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Leicester Tigers), Valerio Bernabo (Zebre), Marco Fuser (Benetton Treviso), Quintin Geldenhuys (Zebre), Robert Barbieri (Benetton Treviso), Simone Favaro (Glasgow Warriors), Maxime Mbandà (Calvisano), Braam Steyn (Benetton Treviso), Dries van Schalkwyk (Zebre)

BACKS
Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso), Alberto Lucchese (Benetton Treviso), Guglielmo Palazzani (Zebre), Tommaso Allan (Perpignan), Carlo Canna (Zebre), Giulio Bisegni (Zebre), Tommaso Boni (Zebre), Michele Campagnaro (Exeter Chiefs), Tommaso Castello (Calvisano), Angelo Esposito (Benetton Treviso), Leonardo Sarto (Zebre), Giovanbattista Venditti (Newcastle Falcons), Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso), David Odiete (Mogliano)