Argentines Parisse, Castrogiovanni and García in Italy Six Nations Squad

Argentines Sergio Parisse, Martín Castrogiovanni and Gonzalo García were all named in Italy’s Six Nations Squad, announce today by Head Coach Jacques Brunel. The former Perpignan Top 14 championship winning coach has retained Parisse as captain.

The roster contains ten uncapped players – props Andrea Lovotti and Matteo Zanusso, hooker Ornel Gega, back-rowers Andries Van Schalkwyk, Jacopo Sarto and Abraham Steyn, fly half Edoardo Padovani, center Tommaso Castello, wing Mattia Bellini and fullback David Odiete.

Overall the roster shows a dramatic reduction in the use of nationalized players. The team captain, Sergio Parisse, is nonetheless from outside of the country. Born in La Plata, Argentina the number 8 played in Argentina before moving with his family to his father’s country and quickly going on to play as a professional.

His talents in Italy were spotted and he moved to Stade Français where he remains to this day and is club captain. This past Monday he became the second Argentine player to win the Top 14 Player of the Year title at the Nuit du Rugby in Paris. Italy are now looking for him to reproduce the magic that led to Stade Français winning last season’s Top 14 final.

Offering a lot of spark is scrum half Edoardo Gori whose combination with Parisse has been extremely noteworthy in recent years. Guglielmo Palazzani will be back-up to Gori. Without Tommaso Allan the highly promising Zebre 23 year old Carlo Canna is the prime candidate to play outside Gori.

Forwards
Martín Castrogiovanni (Racing 92), Dario Chistolini (Zebre), Lorenzo Cittadini (Wasps), Andrea Lovotti (Zebre), Matteo Zanusso (Benetton Tréviso), Ornel Gega (Benetton Treviso), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Leicester Tigers),Valerio Bernabo (Zebre), George Fabio Biagi (Zebre), Marco Fuser (Benetton Treviso), Francesco Minto (Benetton Treviso), Sergio Parisse (Stade français), Jacopo Sarto (Zebre Rugby), Abraham Steyn (Benetton Trévise), Andries Van Schalkwyk (Zebre), Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso)

Backs
Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso), Guglielmo Palazzani (Zebre), Carlo Canna (Zebre), Edoardo Padovani (Zebre), Mattia Bellini (Petrarca Padoue), Giulio Bisegni (Zebre), Michele Campagnaro (Exeter Chiefs), Tommaso Castello (Calvisano), Gonzalo Garcia (Zebre), Kelly Haimona (Zebre), Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso), David Odiete (Marchiol Mogliano), Andrea Pratichetti (Benetton Treviso), Leonardo Sarto (Zebre)