World Cup flanker Braam Steyn added to Italy ‘A’ squad

Italy flanker Braam Steyn is a surprise inclusion in a revised Italy ‘A’ squad to prepare for Sunday’s match against Uruguay in Padua. The 29-year-old Benetton star earned his 45th cap as a replacement against New Zealand this past weekend.

Steyn is one of three new senior international additions to the squad this week, the others Benetton loosehead prop Cherif Traoré and Zebre lock Cristian Stoian. Traore is a replacement for Andrea Lovotti who has moved in the opposite direction to join Kieran Crowley’s Azzurri squad for the test against Los Pumas on Saturday.

Also dropping out of the squad are tighthead prop Tiziano Pasquali, flanker Maxime Mbandà, and fullback Ange Capuozzo. Called up are uncapped back rows Iacopo Bianchi and Matteo Meggiato, flyhalf Leonardo Marin, winger Pierre Bruno, and fullback Lorenzo Pani.

PROP
Filippo Alongi (Mogliano / Benetton)
Paolo Buonfiglio (Zebre)
Ion Neculai (Zebre)
Cherif Traoré (Benetton) – 11 caps

HOOKER
Massimo Ceciliani (Zebre)
Giacomo Nicotera (Rovigo / Benetton)
Federico Zani (Benetton) – 6 caps

SECOND ROW
Leonard Krumov (Zebre)
Marco Lazzaroni (Benetton) – 16 caps
Cristian Stoian (Zebre) – 2 caps
Andrea Zambonin (Zebre)

BACK ROW
Iacopo Bianchi (Fiamme Oro / Zebre)
Lorenzo Cannone (Benetton)
Alessandro Izekor (Calvisano)
Matteo Meggiato (Mogliano / Benetton)
Braam Steyn (Benetton) – 45 caps

SCRUMHALF
Alessandro Garbisi (Mogliano / Benetton)
Nicolò Casilio (Zebre)
Marcello Violi (Zebre) – 21 caps

FLYHALF
Leonardo Marin (Benetton)
Antonio Rizzi (Zebre)

CENTER
Filippo Drago (Mogliano / Benetton)
Enrico Lucchin (Zebre)
Tommaso Menoncello (Benetton)

OUTSIDE BACKS
Pierre Bruno (Zebre)
Lorenzo Pani (Benetton)
Iliesa Ratuva Tavuyara (Benetton)
Jacopo Trulla (Zebre) – 7 caps