Rugby, no to Parisse: Italy chooses Lamb and Odogwu
Nothing Sergio Parisse, yes to two giants born in England but with an Italian name: they will wear blue at the French rugby world cup. In the first list of 46 athletes called up for the world Cup in September there is a double novelty: Dino Luciano Lamb-Cona, 25 years old, second row (1.96 tall and 120 kilos), Italian relatives, plays for London's Harlequins; And Paul Odogwu26 years old, three-quarters (1.75 by 98) currently in force at the Parisian Stade Français, Nigerian father and Italian mother.
No chance for Sergio Parisse in blue?
Lamb and Odogwu are two players that the Fir has been following for a long time, but the national team of their country of origin was also following them. We don't know if England gave up on having them (perhaps the most plausible hypothesis), or if the boys in the end preferred Italy: but in the end, what does it matter? What matters is that they will be available to coach Kieran Crowley from the next meeting on 5 June in Pergine Valsugana, in Trentino. With them there will also be Ivan Nemer, the prop involved in a case of racism (that ugly story of the rotten banana given to a teammate of African origin) who is now collaborating with refugee aid centers and will only be available after July 1, discounted the disqualification. Then Elapahame Faiva with Montanna Ioane, respectively Tongan and Samoan blood, engaged on the other side of the world in New Zealand and Australian clubs. Sergio Parisse, on the other hand, will not be there, who will turn 40 in February and will lead his Toulon next week: for the greatest champion of Italian rugby it seems like a rejection, even if the definitive list will be compiled in mid-August, between the matches of approaching the World Cup with Ireland and Romania.
Coach Crowley: "Preparation in Trentino will be decisive"
Alongi, Nocera, Mori, Halafihi, as well as Lucchesi and Marin who have recovered from injuries, return to work with the blue staff after their absence in the last Six Nations. Unfortunately, Jake Polledri will not be available. “We will live a very long, formative and interesting period in Pergine Valsugana”, says the ct Crowley. “We will have an enlarged squad available, with players who will follow a precise and targeted job based on their role and individual needs. In the first two rallies the group will not be complete, in order to give the right recovery to all the athletes and allow them to be in the best possible conditions for the pre-world test matches. Everyone will be there in July."
The "extended" squad of the national team
Props: Filippo Alongi, Paolo Buonfiglio, Pietro Ceccarelli, Simone Ferrari, Danilo Fischetti, Ivan Nemer, Matteo Nocera, Marco Riccioni, Federico Zani. Hookers: Luca Bigi, Elapahame Faiva, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Marco Manfredi, Giacomo Nicotera. Second lines: Niccolò Cannone, Edoardo Iachizzi, Dino Lamb, Federico Ruzza, David Sisi, Andrea Zambonin. Third lines: Lorenzo Cannone, Riccardo Favretto, Toa Halafigi, Michele Lamaro, Sebastian Negri, Giovanni Pettinelli, Manuel Zuliani. Scrum half: Alessandro Fusco, Alessandro Garbisi, Martin Page-Relo, Stephen Varney. Fly-half: Tommaso Allan, Giacomo Da Re, Paolo Garbisi. Centers: Juan Ignacio Brex, Enrico Lucchin, Leonardo Marin, Tommaso Menoncello, Luca Morisi. Wings/extremes: Pierre Bruno, Ange Capuozzo, Simone Gesi, Montanna Ioane, Federico Mori, Paolo Odogwu, Edoardo Padovani.
