International
Minozzi Returns to Italy Squad
Italy’s World Cup warm-up campaign is looking a lot brighter after long-term absentee Matteo Minozzi has returned to action
Italy’s 2018 break-through star Matteo Minozzi has been named in the nations squad for their upcoming warm-up games against Ireland and Russia.
It comes as much-needed good news for the Italians who confirmed star centre Tommaso Castello would miss the World Cup earlier in the week.
Minozzi returns following almost a whole season on the side-lines following a ruptured ACL while playing for Zebre last year. This was after he made a massive impression in the 2018 Six Nations where he was nominated for player of the tournament, scoring four tries across the five games.
His talent and room for improvement saw Wasps swoop in and sign him, however, he has been unable to play a single game for them this campaign due to the injury.
Speaking in June the full-back discussed his goal was to be back in time to help his country at the World Cup in Japan, but it was proving a tough task.
“My objective was to be back for this but I had no idea if I would make it. It was a really hard journey, and it’s new for me. I’d got to the level I achieved up to then thanks to my talent but I’d never had to work as hard, to take as much care of myself,” he said.
As well as Minozzi’s return there are call-ups for three uncapped players in Benetton front-rows Marco Riccioni and Engjel Makelara along with Gloucester scrum-half Callum Braley, who qualifies to represent the Azzurri due to his grandparents.
Makelara has been included due to the absence of centurion Leonardo Ghiraldini, who has been out injured since rupturing his knee ligaments in March but is trying to make it back for the World Cup.
Head coach Conor O’Shea is looking forward to testing his side in the coming weeks and noted how hard it will be for Minozzi to come straight back in to test rugby.
“These matches are crucial for achieving the objectives that we set ourselves for the Rugby World Cup,” Italy coach Conor O’Shea said of the upcoming fixtures. It is not an easy task for any player to start the season with a test match, but it is the challenge that all teams are facing. The boys have worked incredibly hard in the summer and now are ready for the matches,” he said.
The Azzurri start their warm-up games against Ireland next Saturday, August 10th, before playing Russia a week later, after which the squad will be reassessed and announced for their final matches before heading to Japan for the World Cup.
Check Out the Full Squad Below.
Forwards:
Simone Ferrari (Benetton Rugby, 22 caps)
Andrea Lovotti (Zebre Rugby Club, 34 caps)
Tiziano Pasquali (Benetton Rugby, 18 caps)
Nicola Quaglio (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps)
Marco Riccioni (Benetton Rugby, 0 caps)
Federico Zani (Benetton Rugby 7 caps)
Luca Bigi (Zebre Rugby Club, 19 caps)
Oliviero Fabiani (Zebre Rugby Club, 7 caps)
Engjel Makelara (Benetton Rugby, 0 caps)
Dean Budd (Benetton Rugby, 20 caps)
Marco Lazzaroni (Benetton Rugby, 3 caps)
Federico Ruzza (Benetton Rugby, 12 caps)
David Sisi (Zebre Rugby Club, 5 caps)
Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Rugby, 111 caps)
Renato Giammarioli (Zebre Rugby Club, 3 caps)
Giovanni Licata (Zebre Rugby Club, 7 caps)
Maxime Mbanda (Zebre Rugby Club, 16 caps)
Sebastian Negri (Benetton Rugby, 16 caps)
Sergio Parisse (Tolone, 138 caps)
Jake Polledri (Gloucester, 8 caps)
Abraham Steyn (Benetton Rugby, 30 caps)
Jimmy Tuivaiti (Zebre Rugby Club, 3 caps)
Backs:
Callum Braley (Gloucester, 0 caps)
Guglielmo Palazzani (Zebre Rugby Club, 31 caps)
Tito Tebaldi (Benetton Rugby, 32 caps)
Tommaso Allan (Benetton Rugby, 48 caps)
Carlo Canna (Zebre Rugby Club, 32 caps)
Ian McKinley (Benetton Rugby, 8 caps)
Tommaso Benvenuti (Benetton Rugby, 56 caps)
Michele Campagnaro (Harlequins, 42 caps)
Luca Morisi (Benetton Rugby, 25 caps)
Marco Zanon (Benetton Rugby, 1 cap)
Mattia Bellini (Zebre Rugby Club, 17 caps)
Giulio Bisegni (Zebre Rugby Club, 11 caps)
Angelo Esposito (Benetton Rugby, 20 caps)
Jayden Hayward (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
Matteo Minozzi (Wasps, 10 caps)
Edoardo Padovani (Zebre Rugby Club, 20 caps)
Munster Rugby and the IRFU are pleased to confirm contract extensions for Conor Murray and Jack Daly with Brian Gleeson to be promoted from the Academy to the senior squad next season.
Murray and Daly have signed one-year extensions with Gleeson moving up to the senior squad on a two-year deal.
Gleeson is one of five Academy players moving up to the senior squad next year with Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan, Mark Donnelly and Edwin Edogbo also signing two-year deals.
Conor Murray is one of the most decorated scrum-halfs in world rugby with 116 Ireland caps and three British & Irish Lions tours to his name.
A former St Munchin’s College student, the Garryowen man won his fifth 6 Nations title with Ireland last month and earned his second league title with Munster last season.
The 34-year-old has made 185 Munster appearances and scored 34 tries for the province to date and was named on World Rugby’s Team of the Decade in 2019.
25-year-old flanker Jack Daly came up through the ranks at Castleisland RFC and made his Munster debut against Zebre in 2020.
Daly joined the Academy in 2018, moved up to the senior squad in 2021 and plays his AIL rugby with Garryowen. A former Ireland U20 international, he made his Champions Cup debut against Toulouse in the quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium in 2022.
Try-scoring number 8 Brian Gleeson leads the charge for the Ireland Under-20s against France ©INPHO/Evan Treacy
20-year-old Gleeson moves up to the senior squad after just one year in the Academy that has seen him score one try in nine senior appearances.
Currently out of action with an ankle injury, he had already made three Champions Cup appearances before turning 20.
The powerful back-row forward was a Grand Slam winner with the Ireland U20s last year. plays his AIL rugby with Garryowen and came up through the ranks at Thurles RFC and Rockwell College.
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Head Coach Andy Farrell has named his Ireland Match Day Squad for Saturday’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations clash against Scotland at Aviva Stadium (Kick-off 4.45pm).
Ireland – currently sitting top of the Six Nations table heading into Super Saturday – can clinch back-to-back Championship titles with victory over Scotland in Dublin.
Farrell has named an unchanged starting XV for the Round 5 clash, as Hugo Keenan, Calvin Nash and James Lowe continue in the Ireland back three. Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki are once again selected in midfield, with Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park the starting half-backs.
Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong pack down in the front row, with Joe McCarthy partnering Tadhg Beirne – who is set to win his 50th Test cap for Ireland – in the engine room.
Captain Peter O’Mahony is at blindside flanker, Josh van der Flier is at openside and Caelan Doris completes the starting XV at number eight.
The Ireland Coaching Team have opted for a 5-3 split on the bench, with Rónan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Ryan Baird and Jack Conan providing the reinforcements up front, and Conor Murray, Harry Byrne and the fit-again Garry Ringrose the backline options.
Saturday’s match is live on Virgin Media One and ITV, with live radio coverage available on RTE Radio 1.
Ireland Team & Replacements (v Scotland, Guinness Men’s Six Nations, Saturday, March 16, 4.45pm)
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(39)
14. Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(5)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(71)
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(55)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(30)
10. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(13)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(34)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(63)
2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(25)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(75)
4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(9)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(49)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(captain)(104)
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(61)
8. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster)(40)
Replacements:
16. Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(30)
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)(128)
18. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht)(39)
19. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(19)
20. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(45)
21. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)(115)
22. Harry Byrne (UCD/Leinster)(3)
23. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)(57).
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Head Coach Andy Farrell has named his Ireland Match Day Squad for Saturday’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations clash against England at Twickenham (Kick-off 4.45pm).
Peter O’Mahony captains Ireland for the Round 4 visit to London, with Hugo Keenan returning to the starting XV after recovering from injury.
Keenan joins Calvin Nash and James Lowe in the Ireland back three, with Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw continuing their midfield partnership.
Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park are retained as the half-back pairing.
In the pack, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong are in the front row, with Joe McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne named in the engine room. Captain O’Mahony is at blindside flanker, Josh van der Flier is at openside and Caelan Doris completes the starting XV at number eight.
The Ireland Coaching Team have selected a 6-2 split on the bench, as Ronan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird and Jack Conan provide the reinforcements in the pack.
Backs Conor Murray and Ciaran Frawley complete Ireland’s Match Day 23 to face England.
Saturday’s match is live on RTÉ2 and ITV.
Ireland:
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(38)
14. Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(4)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(70)
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(54)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(29)
10. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(12)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(33)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(62)
2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(24)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(74)
4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(8)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(48)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(captain)(103)
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(60)
8. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster)(39)
Replacements:
16. Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(29)
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)(127)
18. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht)(38)
19. Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster)(80)
20. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(18)
21. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(44)
22. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)(114)
23. Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)(3)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
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