We're ready to death, Italy called!

[Angelo]

That's the list of 40 (plus one) players called by Berbizier for the final tests for RWC. from them, Pierre will choose the final 30 list

NAZIONALE ITALIANA RUGBY
SQUADRA DI PREPARAZIONE AI MONDIALI DI FRANCIA 2007
Matias AGUERO (Arix Viadana, 6 caps)
Robert BARBIERI (Overmach Cariparma, 5 caps)
Mauro BERGAMASCO (Stade Francais, 57 caps)
Mirco BERGAMASCO (Stade Francais, 42 caps)
Valerio BERNABOÕ (Cammi Calvisano, 9 caps)
Marco BORTOLAMI (Gloucester, 59 caps) Ð capitano
David BORTOLUSSI (Montpellier, 8 caps)
Kristopher BURTON (Orleans, 2 caps)
Gonzalo CANALE (Clermont-Auvergne, 31 caps)
Pablo CANAVOSIO (Castres, 14 caps)
Martin CASTROGIOVANNI (Leicester Tigers, 43 caps)
Roland DE MARIGNY (Cammi Calvisano, 15 caps)
Carlo Antonio DEL FAVA (Bourgoin, 21 caps)
Santiago DELLAPEÕ (Biarritz Olympique, 43 caps)
Paul DERBYSHIRE (Rolly Gran Parma, esordiente)
Carlo FESTUCCIA (Rolly Gran Parma, 38 caps)
Alessio GALANTE (Rolly Gran Parma, 2 caps)
Ezio GALON (Overmach Cariparma, 10 caps)
Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Cammi Calvisano, 4 caps)
Paul GRIFFEN (Cammi Calvisano, 34 caps)
Andrea LO CICERO (Infinito L'Aquila, 66 caps)
Andrea MASI (Biarritz Olympique, 30 caps)
Carlos NIETO (Gloucester, 21 caps)
Ludovico NITOGLIA (Cammi Calvisano, 17 caps)
Fabio ONGARO (Saracens, 48 caps)
Silvio ORLANDO (Benetton Treviso, 13 caps)
Luciano ORQUERA (Brive, 10 caps)
Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais, 42 caps)
Enrico PATRIZIO (Carrera Petrarca Padova, 1 cap)
Salvatore PERUGINI (Stade Toulousain, 42 caps)
Ramiro PEZ (Bayonne, 37 caps)
Matteo PRATICHETTI (Cammi Calvisano, 6 caps)
Kaine ROBERTSON (Arix Viadana, 21 caps)
Alberto SGARBI (Benetton Treviso, esordiente)
Josh SOLE (Arix Viadana, 19 caps)
Marko STANOJEVIC (Bristol, 5 caps)
Fabio STAIBANO (Overmach Cariparma, 6 caps)
Alessandro TRONCON (Clermont-Auvergne, 95 caps)
Maurizio ZAFFIRI (Cammi Calvisano, 14 caps)
Alessandro ZANNI (Cammi Calvisano, 15 caps)

giocatore invitato: Manoa VOSAWAI (Overmach Cariparma) Ð eleggibile dal 2 settembre

ok, Castro is already in without any doubt. Manoa Wosaway is the invited player, who will be eligible from the next 2 of september. He's a big n. 8.

[k1]

It's not a bad list of players, don't think there'll be too many surprises for the final 30. Looking at this, I fully expect Italy to qualify for the knockout stages.

[chipnchase]

That squad just looks stronger and stronger!

[Ze Stade Fan]

I'll definitely be in Saint-Etienne for Scotland-Italy. This will be a magic moment : the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium is known as "the Green Cauldron" (Green for AS Saint-Etienne FC), it'll be hot !

FORZA RAGAZZI !

[CJ]

that's some squad. Italy are just getting better and better and will take a big scalp soon, IMO. Can't harm them having Berbizier - great player, great coach.

[StevoIRL]

I think its just great to see Italy stand up now and play their own against the big lads like they have some great players and their pack is one of the biggest out their. Watching them destroy Scotland and Wales was a great sight just for the fact that they have come so far from going to every match and loosing 63-0. Hopefully soon enough they can really start making a impact on the world stage

[WharfedaleTiger]

Hey're getting good now are they

I cna see the Scots not egtting to the QF's.

[Angelo]

My hope is to see the first RWC quarter final with Azurri. Sorry for Scots, but this could be our turn.
It will be hard anyway, because Scotland had months to cure their wounds, and surely will not do the same errors that did in Murrayfield. But i believe Italy can do it again. And, Azzurri haven't yet won against Romania and Portugal, the guys in (electric) blue must respect them and be focused as they were playing against the AB's, who will play first against us. About the match against New Zealand, we're used to say: "tooth away, pain away" but, i sincerely hope the match will be not a total upset for Italy (40 points of disadvantage maximum would be good), for the morale of the team.