Depleted Italy suffer two more injuries ahead of Ireland clash

New Italy head coach Kieran Crowley is set to bring a threadbaresquad to Aviva Stadium

Italy head coach Kieran Crowley 

Italy’s threadbare squad has suffered another blow ahead of their visit to Dublin this Sunday with two players injured at the weekend and forced out of Kieran Crowley’s plans.

The new head coach is set to bring a squad to Aviva Stadium searching for a first Guinness Six Nations win since 2015 and already missing a host of experienced forwards including Marco Fuser, Johan Meyer, Sebastian Negri and Gloucester’s Jake Polledri. 

Centre Luca Morisi and teenage wing Tommaso Menoncello, who scored a try on his Italy debut in round one against France, are also among an injury list that was extended to 13 players after the weekend’s club action when Crowley lost Benetton wing Ratuva Tavuyara and uncapped Agen full-back Ange Capuozzo.

The Italy squad assembled in Rome on Monday having seen their winless streak stretch to 34 Six Nations games with losses already this season in Paris and at home to England in a 33-0 defeat last time out eight days ago.

Italy Squad Round 3 2022 Guinness Six Nations Championship:

Forwards (19): N Cannone (Benetton), P Ceccarelli (Brive), E Faiva (Benetton), D Fischetti (Zebre Parma), M Lamaro (Benetton) - captain, G Lucchesi (Benetton), I Nemer (Benetton), G Nicotera (Benetton), T Pasquali (Benetton), G Pettinelli (Benetton), F Ruzza (Benetton), D Sisi (Zebre Parma), B Steyn (Benetton), C Traore (Benetton), A Zambonin (Zebre Parma), G Zilocchi (Zebre Parma), M Zuliani (Benetton).

Backs (12): C Braley (Benetton), J I Brex (Benetton), P Bruno (Zebre Parma), A Fusco (Zebre Parma), P Garbisi (Montpellier), M Ioane (Benetton), E Lucchin (Zebre Parma), L Marin (Benetton), F Mori (Bordeaux), E Padovani (Benetton), S Varney (Gloucester), M Zanon (Benetton).

Invitees: F Di Marco (Fiamme Oro), A Forcucci (Fiamme Oro), L Vaccari (Fiamme Oro).