ITALY COACH JACQUES Brunel has left out their country’s most capped player from his final 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup next month.
Zebre second-row Marco Bortolami – who has 112 test caps – is the biggest name to miss the cut from Brunel’s squad, ahead of their final warm-up games against Scotland and Wales.
Bortolami featured in Saturday’s defeat to the Scots in Turin, but the 35-year-old only featured in one game during the 2015 Six Nations campaign, and it now looks like his international career is over, after more than 14 years with the Azzurri.
Flanker Mauro Bergamasco is included in the squad though, as he gets set to feature in his fifth World Cup. 36-year-old Bergamasco – who made his debut in 1998, before Italy were even in the Six Nations – is set to add to his 102 caps.
There was no miracle-recovery for out-half Kelly Haimona however, who withdrew from the squad during the summer to continue rehabbing his broken arm.
Haimona had reserved some hope of getting fit in time for the tournament, but the Zebre 10 failed to make the cut, with 22-year-old Tommaso Allan given the chance to impress.
As usual, number 8 Sergio Parisse will captain the side, while Brunel has opted for a 17:14 split between forwards and backs.
Italy will provide opposition for Ireland in Pool D, along with with France, Canada and Romania.
They open their campaign against France in Twickenham on September 19, and will meet Ireland at London’s Olympic Stadium on October 4.
Forwards: Matias Aguero, Martin Castrogiovanni, Dario Chistolini, Lorenzo Cittadini, Michele Rizzo, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Davide Giazzon, Andrea Manici, Valerio Bernabo, Joshua Furno, Marco Fuser, Quintin Geldenhuys, Mauro Bergamasco, Francesco Minto, Sergio Parisse (C), Samuela Vunisa, Alessandro Zanni,
Backs: Edoardo Gori, Guglielmo Palazzani, Marcello Violi, Tommaso Allan, Carlo Canna, Tommaso Benvenuti, Michele Campagnaro, Angelo Esposito, Gonzalo Garcia, Andrea Masi, Luke McLean, Luca Morisi, Leonardo Sarto, Giovanbattista Venditti
