Kirwan picks Italian squad

John Kirwan, Italy's national coach has chosen a squad of 30 players for the Tests against Canada, New Zealand and the USA. In addition he has appointed 24-year-old Marco Bortolami as his new captain. Bortolami first captained Italy in New Zealand at the age of 22, the youngest Italian captain ever.

On the score of the captaincy, Kirwan said: "I have decided to entrust the captaincy to Bortolami because I want Alessandro Troncon to concentrate fully on his game. I have spoken to Alessandro about it."

There are four interesting young players in the group - lock Valerio Bernabò, who is the captain of the Italian Under-21 team, centre Matteo Pratichetti who is 19 and wing Ludovico Nitoglia who is 20. In addition there is the 20-year-old prodigy Gonzalo Channel who is back from a broken wrist earlier than expected.

Italy play Canada in L'Aquila on 6 November, New Zealand in Rome on 13 November and the USA in Biella on 27 November.

The enlarged squad will gather at the Scuola Superiore Guglielmo Reiss Romoli on 31 October. On 3 November, Kirwan will announce the squad of 24 for the Canada Test at the Stadio Tommaso Fattori.

The following is the Italian squad:

Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Français), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Français), Valerio Bernabò (Ghial Calvisano), Marco Bortolami (Narbonne), Gonzalo Canale (Benetton Treviso), Martin Castrogiovanni (Ghial Calvisano), Salvatore Costanzo (Benetton Treviso), David Dal Maso (Benetton Treviso), Denis Dallan (Benetton Treviso), Carlo Antonio Del Fava (SKG GrAN Rugby), Santiago Dellapè (Agen), Gianluca Faliva (Benetton Treviso), Carlo Festuccia (SKG GrAN Rugby), Paul Griffen (Ghial Calvisano), Giorgio Intoppa (Ghial Calvisano), Andrea Lo Cicero (Conad LAquila), Andrea Masi (Arix Viadana), Ludovico Nitoglia (Ghial Calvisano),  Fabio Ongaro (Benetton Treviso), Silvio Orlando (Benetton Treviso), Luciano Orquera (Carrera Petrarca Padova), Enrico Pavanello (Benetton Treviso), Aaron Persico Ronald (Agen), Salvatore Perugini  (Ghial Calvisano), Walter Pozzebon (Benetton Treviso), Matteo Pratichetti  (Ghial Calvisano), Paul Kaine (Arix Viadana), Andrea Scanavacca (Rugby Rovigo), Alessandro Troncon (Benetton Treviso), Rima Wakarua (Admo Leonessa Brescia).