By AFP
October 8th 2008 @ 2:52am

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Mallett names squad for autumn Tests

Italy coach Nick Mallett today announced a 30-man squad for the November Tests at home to Australia, Argentina and the Pacific Islands.

The squad will meet in Rome for a three-day training camp from October 19 to 21. Last month a 29-man squad took part in a three-day camp in the capital.

Italy will face Australia at Padua on November 8, Argentina in Turin on November 15 and the Pacific Islands a week later in Reggio Emilia.

Squad
Forwards (16): Matias Aguero (Saracens/ENG), Robert Barbieri (Treviso), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais/FRA), Marco Bortolami (Gloucester/ENG), Carlo Antonio Del Fava (Ulster/NIR), Santiago Dellape (Toulon/FRA), Carlo Festuccia (Racing Metro/FRA/D2), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Calvisano), Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro/FRA/D2), Carlos Nieto (Gloucester/ENG), Fabio Ongaro (Saracens/ENG), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais/FRA), Salvatore Perugini (Toulouse/FRA), Tommaso Reato (Rovigo), Josh Sole (Viadana), Alessandro Zanni (Calvisano)

Backs (14): Andrea Bacchetti (Rovigo), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais/FRA), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont/FRA), Pablo Canavosio (Viadana), Gonzalo Garcia (Calvisano), Andrea Marcato (Treviso), Andrea Masi (Biarritz/FRA), Luke McLean (Calvisano), Luciano Orquera (Brive/FRA), Riccardo Pavan (Parma), Simon Picone (Treviso), Matteo Pratichetti (Calvisano), Kaine Robertson (Viadana), Giulio Toniolatti (Capitolina Rome)

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Benjamin said | October 8th 2008 @ 4:18am | Report comment

This game is the acid test for the Australian pack. Aguero is a monster. Love him.

Davo said | October 8th 2008 @ 5:54pm | Report comment

Was one C.Gower late of Penrith but having now reclaimed his Italian ancestry available for selection. I read he was under consideration for the 6 Nations despite coach Mallet having reservations after reading Gower’s Wikipedia entry. I see they are playing “Aussie” Luce Mclean at 5/8 possibly ? I have no idea how Gower has been going in Europe but he’s a fair footballer and very savvy. I am kind of surprised that if available he cant make the Italian squad

Benjamin said | October 8th 2008 @ 9:40pm | Report comment

Gower was available for selection but I guess Mallett didn’t fancy him. He doesn’t speak Italian which isn’t particularly useful, however given that a lot of the Italian players speak French, language might not be so much of a problem. McLean started recently against SA and he’ll probably continue to play 10 because the Andrea Masi experiment was a failure. I would expect Gower to make the squad at some point though although Italy are blessed with some good centres; Masi, Mirco Bergamasco and Canale.