The technician on the eve of the first match of the summer tour: “We will play at 1700 meters and it will not be an easy game. Struck by Nicotera even before knowing it”
Lamaro, Capuozzo, Ruzza, Ioane, Allan, Paolo Garbisi: they are the players kept at rest by Gonzalo this for this tour in Namibia and South Africa. Italy, without its big names that they must recover after the abnormal minutage of the last seasons (Lamaro and Ruzza have even exceeded 5000 minutes in the last three years), relies on a new captain (the “mule” Nicotera) and a young and revolutionized formation: without Allan and Garbisi against Namibia (kick -off Friday at 3 pm) the number 10 shirt passes to Giacomo da Re – who is missing from 2023 and is at the third in the Italian. While after many injuries, Paolo Odogwu returns to the national team, as well as a favor in the second line. Occasion also for Leonardo Marin, not as a median but as a first center, and for Fusco next to Da Re as at the time of the Under 20. A few surprises on the front line, where you cannot give up Fischerti, Nicotera and Riccioni, but on bench 2 out of 3 (by Bartolomeo and Hasa) will be debutants, as can debut the extreme Mirko Belloni. In short, the opponent is not the most difficult (Namibia has just changed CT and is under pressure because he has to win the Africa Cup to qualify for the World Cup) but it is still an important test for many guys who with this summer tour are played an opportunity to enter the blue lap.
New faces and different choices
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Since the vice rough and Brex did not have a Lamaro, this chosen Giacomo Nicotera as captain: “I estimated him before becoming the CT of Italy, I impressed me the technical qualities but also the way he behaved on the field, when I met him then I had the confirmation. Our captain is a laminar because if he deserves it, but we always thought of him as a possible alternative in case of absence, choice was logical “. Among the various surprises there is also the choice to deploy Leonardo Marin as a center, a role that does not cover the six nations 2022: “Leo has always been summoned since I am a coach, he practically knows the game of Italy like me who created it (laughs, editor’s note) even if he did not play much because he had in front of Garbisi and Allan, and precisely for this reason in synergy with the Benetton we have decided to live in a role.” Three possible debutants start from the bench: Tommaso di Bartolomeo, Muhamed “Momo” Hasa and Mirko Belloni. Bartolomeo, heels, has always been the “third” behind Nicotera and Lucchesi and replaces the latter, out of injury. He is inspired by the legendary Leo Ghiraldini, studies jurisprudence and loves basketball. HASA – who can play both right and left pylon, a rarity of these days – he arrived in Italy 9 years from Albania, at the beginning he struggled at school because he did not know Italian, then his professor of physical education made him know rugby and changed his life. Belloni, extreme quick and fast, was the MVP of the last Italian championship and has already signed for the zebras: “We usually bring 6 ahead and only 2 trocar on the bench, but we decided to bring an extra trocar to the bench just to give him the opportunity to be there, because he deserves it” explained this.
At 1700 meters
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Namibia-Italia will be played in Windhoek, Namibian capital at almost 1700 meters above sea level. Even if the opponent does not arouse particular concerns, the Azzurri have always suffered the first commitment of the summer tour, also because of the long trips and the little preparation: “It was not easy to find the rhythms and automatisms in Righteous, especially in the first days of gathering in L’Aquila, after many weeks without playing and with many guys who did not know the way we play. In the first training we were not fluid as we wanted, but we improved day after day. The team as our number 10 has to do and for this we have chosen it. (Boysen, editor’s note) very strong, I also really like the extreme Andre Van der Berg, who plays in France, and the midfielder Swanepolel, do not underestimate them “.
The formations of Namibia-Italy
Namibia: 15 Andre Van der Berg, 14 Dane Van der Merwe, 13 Alcino Izaacs, 12 Danco Burger, 11 Jurgen Meyer, 10 Tiaan Swanepoel, 9 Jacques Theron, 8 Adriaan Boysen, 7 Max Katjijek, 6 Prince Gaoseb 5 Johan retief, 4 Adriaan Luck, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Louis Der Westhuizen, 1 Hitembu Shikuffa; Available: 16 Armand Combrink, 17 Jason Benade, 18, Sidney Halupe, 19 Ruan Loudick, 20 Johan Murig, 21 Pieter Diegaardt, 22 OELA Blauw, 23 Quirione Majiedt
Italy: Italy: 15 Jacopo Trulla, 14 Paolo Odogwu, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Leonardo Marin, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giacomo da Re, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 Ross Vintcent, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Riccardo Favretto, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Giacomo Nicotera (Captain) Provision: 16 Tommaso di Bartolomeo, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Muhamed Hasa, 19 Andrea Zambonin, 20 Lorenzo Cannone, 21 Stephen Varney, 22 Giulio Bertaccini, 23 Mirko Belloni
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