The squad will meet up this coming Monday to begin preparations for the 2024 Championship, and it includes five uncapped players – one of whom, Exeter Chiefs’ Ross Vintcent (pictured representing Italy U20s in 2022), will be in camp for the first time.
The camp represents Italy’s first gathering within the international window under Quesada wherein all players are available to the former Argentina fly-half.
Pietro Ceccarelli, born in 1992, is the most experienced player in the squad, while four players – Tommaso Menoncello, Luca Rizzoli, Alessandro Garbisi and Vintcent – are the youngest. Those at the start of their international careers will benefit from the experience of Tommaso Allan, who with his 79 caps is the Azzurri’s most senior player. Like Wales, who announced their squad earlier today, Italy have an average of 25.
The national team will remain in Verona until Saturday 27 January before moving to Rome’s Giulio Onesti Olympic training centre, where they will prepare up until their opening match against England on Saturday 3 February at the Stadio Olimpico.
"We will have the opportunity to work as a complete group for the first time, if only for three days,” said Quesada. “In the first part of January, the focus was on the new working methodology. Now we will get into the basics of our game and the structures of attack and defence.
“We won't have a lot of time and we will try to be as focused in our work as possible. The staff have worked very well and there has been constant discussion during this period to convey all the information to the athletes in the best possible way.”
ITALY TRAINING SQUAD FOR THE 2024 CHAMPIONSHIP
Props
Pietro CECCARELLI (Perpignan, 31 caps
Danilo FISCHETTI (Zebre Parma, 36 caps)
Matteo NOCERA (Zebre Parma, rookie)
Luca RIZZOLI (Zebre Parma, rookie)
Mirco SPAGNOLO (Benetton Rugby, rookie)
Giosuè ZILOCCHI (Benetton Rugby, 16 caps)
Hookers
Gianmarco LUCCHESI (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
Marco MANFREDI (Zebre Parma, 3 caps)
Giacomo NICOTERA (Benetton Rugby, 18 caps)
Second row
Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 36 caps)
Edoardo IACHIZZI (Benetton Rugby, 6 caps)
Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 49 caps)
Andrea ZAMBONIN (Zebre Parma, 3 caps)
Back row
Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 16 caps)
Riccardo FAVRETTO (Benetton Rugby, 1 cap)
Alessandro IZEKOR (Benetton Rugby, rookie)
Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 33 caps)
Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 52 caps)
Ross VINTCENT (Exeter, rookie)
Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
Scrum-Halves
Alessandro GARBISI (Benetton Rugby, 7 caps)
Martin PAGE-RELO (Lyon, 4 caps)
Stephen VARNEY (Gloucester, 24 caps)
Fly-Halves
Tommaso ALLAN (Perpignan, 79 caps)
Paolo GARBISI (Montpellier, 31 caps)
Centres
Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 30 caps)
Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 12 caps)
Federico MORI (Bayonne, 13 caps)
Marco ZANON (Benetton Rugby, 16 caps)
Wings/Fullbacks
Pierre BRUNO (Zebre Parma, 15 caps)
Ange CAPUOZZO (Stade Toulousain, 16 caps)
Monty IOANE (Lyon 25 caps)
Simone GESI (Zebre Parma, 1 cap)
Lorenzo PANI (Zebre Parma, 5 caps)
Italy’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations fixtures
03.02.24 – 15:15 (local time): Italy v England
11.02.24 – 15:00 (GMT) Ireland v Italy
25.02.24 – 16:00 (local time) France v Italy
9.03.24 – 15:15 (local time) Italy v Scotland
16.03.24 – 14:15 (GMT) Wales v Italy
