Zebre; the squad

[greybeard]

Not official yet, but this looks likely to be the squad..

Props: Aguero (confermato), Perugini (confermato), Ryan (dalla Lazio), De Marchi An. (confermato), Tripodi (dal Parma), un pilone italo-argentino probably Luciano Leibson (San Luis, Urba).
Hookers: D’Apice (confermato), Giazzon (dal Rovigo), Denti (confermato), Manici (dal Parma).
Seconde linee: Bortolami (confermato), Van Vuren (dal Parma), Cazzola (dal Prato), Geldenhuys (confermato).
Third line & n°8: Cristiano (dal Rovigo), Belardo (dal Prato), Padrò G. (dal Treviso), Cattina (confermato), Ferrarini (confermato), Caffini (dal Parma), Vunisa (dal Calvisano).

Scrum half: Tebaldi (confermato), Chillon (dal Padova), Martinelli (dalle Fiamme Oro).
Fly half: Orquera (confermato), Bocchino (dal Prato), Chiesa (dal Prato), Haimona (dal Piacenza).

Wings: Venditti (confermato), Sarto (dal Padova).
Centres: Quartaroli (confermato), Pratichetti M. (confermato), Pavan G. (confermato), Garcia G. (dal Treviso), Majstorovic (dal Prato).

Full back: Benettin (confermato), Buso (confermato), Odiete (dal Reggio), Trevisan (confermato).

Not complete, and some surprises.... watch this space

[psychic duck]

Interesting, the squad has numerous from the "Emerging Italy" side that played the IRB Nations Cup this year, which lost to an experimental Romanian side so I expect this side to be of a similar standard to the Romanian Amlin Challenge Cup side Bucharest Wolves.

There are a lot of very young players in that squad, which is almost the opposite tactic to what Aironi did which was to buy every Italian possible who was based in England and France, which proved to be expensive.

From that squad I would guess the team would be:

1. Matías Aguëro (17 caps)
2. Tommaso d'Apice (10 caps)
3. Dave Ryan (I thought he was American now)
4. Quintin Geldenhuys (30 caps)
5. Michael van Vuuren
6. Emiliano Caffini
7. Filippo Cristiano
8. Nicola Berlado
9. Tito Tebaldi (16 caps)
10. Riccardo Bocchino (14 caps)
11. Giovanbattista Venditti (7 caps)
12. Matteo Pratichetti (24 caps)
13. Roberto Quartaroli (5 caps)
14. Leonardo Sarto
15. Alberto Benettin (1 cap)

16. Davide Giazzon (2 caps)
17. Salvatore Perugini (83 caps)
18. Lucio Leibson
19. Filippo Cazzola
20. Nicola Cattina
21. Alberto Chillon
22. Alberto Chiesa
23. Denis Majstorovic

*Marco Bortolami is injured for the first four months of the season

[londonderryrugby]

Do you know where Bergamasco, Sole, Redolfini and Masi have gone for next season? I take it Favaro is off to Treviso. Pity they didnt sign Sinoti, he was by far Aironi's best back last season.

[psychic duck]

Do you know where Bergamasco, Sole, Redolfini and Masi have gone for next season? I take it Favaro is off to Treviso. Pity they didnt sign Sinoti, he was by far Aironi's best back last season.

Bergamasco has signed Cavalieri Prato in the Italian league, Masi was thought to be signing for some team in France possibly Lyon, no idea about Sole and Redolfini presumably most likely gone to the Italian league as well

I agree about Sinoti he is electric, last I heard about him is that he might be signing for some team in Russia

[Feicarsinn]

I'd imagine that Sole could have his choice of clubs, he's an absolutely top player.

[DuncTheDoodle]

There've been whisperings of the Ospreys sniffing around for Sinotti, which I wouldn't mind.

Look a respectable squad, but nowhere near strong enough to actually compete. Fingers crossed for them, though...

[londonderryrugby]

What happen's with rugby in Viadana now? Does an Aironi/Viadana team go back into the Italian league? 2,000+ fan's there would surely make them the best supported team in the Italian League.

[greybeard]

What happen's with rugby in Viadana now? Does an Aironi/Viadana team go back into the Italian league? 2,000+ fan's there would surely make them the best supported team in the Italian League.

Yeah, Viadana in Eccellenza, which should be a league of 12 teams, including, probably, the Fiamme d'Oro - the financial police, for whom Bergamasco and Festuccia will probably be playing. Sole and Redolfini probably reverting to Viadana. Lots of "probably" here, the next few days should confirm the rumours. Well done to whoever signs Sinoti Sinoti!

[profitius]

I was surprised when Munster let Dave Ryan go. It was mainly because of his injuries I think and they already had an injury prone Darragh Hurley at loosehead prop (who has just retired at 26). Ryan looked a better player than his brother Timmy.

[Irishflanker]

Ryan looked a better player than his brother Timmy.

True, he was quite good around the park. His scrummaging let him (and Timmy) down big time. Although I'm not sure as to whether or not it has improved much since he left Munster.

[MurrayKinsella]

True, he was quite good around the park. His scrummaging let him (and Timmy) down big time. Although I'm not sure as to whether or not it has improved much since he left Munster.

He's been playing every week in the Italian league, so you'd have to hope that his scrummaging was tested there. He hasn't been capped by the USA yet as far as I know. Would be great to see a bit of him in the PRO12, maybe even up against his brother for the Dragons!

[londonderryrugby]

Zebre's 39 man squad has been announced. 18 players from Aironi.

Zebras: Matías Aguëro (Aironi), Andrea de Marchi (Aironi), Salvatore Perugini (Aironi), Tommaso d'Apice (Aironi), Antonio Denti (Aironi), Andrea Manici (Crociati), Davide Giazzon (Rovigo), Flavio Tripodi (Crociati), Dave Ryan (Lazio), Luciano Leibson (San Luis), Marco Bortolami (Aironi), Quintin Geldenhuys (Aironi), Filippo Cazzola (Cavalieri Prato), Nicola Cattina (Aironi), Samuela Vunisa (Calvisano), Nicola Belardo (Cavalieri Prato), Michael van Vuuren (Crociati), Filippo Cristiano (Rovigo), Gonzalo Padrò (Treviso), Filippo Ferrarini (Aironi), Emiliano Caffini (Crociati), Tito Tebaldi (Aironi), Luca Martinelli (Fiamme Oro), Alberto Chillon (Petrarca Padova), Luciano Orquera (Aironi), Riccardo Bocchino (Cavalieri Prato), Kelly Haimona (Piacenza), Gilberto Pavan (Aironi), Matteo Pratichetti (Aironi), Roberto Quartaroli (Aironi), Alberto Chiesa (Cavalieri Prato), Denis Majstorovic (Cavalieri Prato), Gonzalo García (Treviso), Giovanbattista Venditti (Aironi), Leonardo Sarto (Petrarca Padova), Alberto Benettin (Aironi), Paolo Buso (Aironi), Ruggero Trevisan (Aironi), David Odiete (Reggio).

[greybeard]

Rep for greybeard who informed us about the exact squad 5 days before the slow mainstream media here in the UK and also in France knew about it.

Unfortunately everything is in "alto mare" at the moment!! The squad should have been officially announced the 25 th July; now they say this afternoon! (Monday). Bergamasco and Festuccia now bound for the Zebras; D'Apice to Ldn Irish (good move that one!) Bocchino to France Pro2; Masi who knows... Neither Venditti or Qartirolo it seems are certain either..! Lots of Ecellenza clubs unhappy at losing their best young prospects. Not relevent, but the probable candidate to replace Dondi as Fed president, Gavazzi, has difficulty speaking Italian! He has to resort to dialect.... Dondi may also become President of Zebre; what a surprise....
The idea of a federal franchigia was always farcical; if they manage to put out a decent first XV they certainly won't have good enough cover for a long and arduous season: Here there is the smell of failure before they even start. I hope i'M WRONG.

[psychic duck]

The squad which is reported on Planet Rugby, ESPN Scrum and some other sites is actually wrong (I reckon one news source copied greybeard's provisional squad and then it spread around). The official announcement was a slightly different squad.

Loosehead Props: Matías Aguëro, Andrea de Marchi, Carlo Fazzari, Salvatore Perugini
Hookers: Davide Giazzon, Andrea Manici
Tighthead Props: Luciano Leibson, Luca Redolfini, Dave Ryan, Flavio Tripodi
Locks: Marco Bortolami, Filippo Cazzola, Michael van Vuuren
Flankers: Mauro Bergamasco, Emiliano Caffini, Nicola Cattina, Filippo Cristiano
Number 8's: Nicola Belardo, Josh Sole, Filippo Ferrarini

Scrum Halves: Alberto Chillon, Luca Martinelli, Tito Tebaldi
Fly Halves: Luciano Orquera
Centres: Gonzalo García, Matteo Pratichetti, Roberto Quartaroli, Samuele Pace
Wingers: David Odiete, Leonardo Sarto, Sinoti Sinoti, Giovanbattista Venditti
Full Backs: Alberto Benettin, Paolo Buso, Andrea Masi, Ruggero Trevisan

Possible Starting Lineup:
1. Matías Aguëro
2. Davide Giazzon
3. Carlo Fazzari
4. Marco Bortolami (injured for the first half of the season)
5. Michael van Vuuren
6. Nicola Cattina
7. Mauro Bergamasco
8. Josh Sole
9. Tito Tebaldi
10. Luciano Orquera
11. Sinoti Sinoti
12. Matteo Pratichetti
13. Roberto Quartaroli
14. Giovanbattista Venditti
15. Andrea Masi

16. Andrea Manici
17. Salvatore Perugini
18. Luca Redolfini
19. Filippo Cazzola
20. Filippo Ferrarini
21. Alberto Chillon
22. Paolo Bus
23. Alberto Benettin

[londonderryrugby]

It also states on their official site that Bocchino, Glendenhuys, Calabrese and Festuccia are still in contract negotiations.