Fabio Roselli has published his list of 34 players list of 34 players to form his 6 Nations training squad.
Some pundits have claimed he’s taking a new broom to rejuvenate his team’s chances. But the nine uncapped players listed are close to the average number for the other nations already published (France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales).
More interesting is the total; at 34 some way below average. That means either that he knows his mind or that his field of choice is narrower.
The New Faces
The nine look like this:
Dosi, prop; Chieli, No 2: Spinelli, No 2; Andreoli, lock; Constantini, lock; Aggio, centre; Grassi and Serio back-three.
Bringing these youngsters in is wise, especially considering the average age of last year’s squad. But it means a sharp improvement in results is unlikely. Fans will still need patience.
Some background
The regular season of Serie A Elite is now over. Just the semis (21 March) and final (28 March at Rovigo) remain.
The latest round reveals the usual litany of unwelcome results:
Naples 0 Valsugana 111; Villorba 45 Torino 5; UR Capitolina (Rome) 33 Milano 29; Colombo 20 Benetton Treviso 5.
Only that third result encourages me: a tight tussle between two major cities.
The system offers promotion and relegation, as in the French Elite 1. Here Neapolis are the fall guys. We may wonder what effect this will have on the only club based in the south, and whether the promoted club has a chance of staying up.
Their equivalents in France are Toulon (Chloe Rollie territory). It took them an age to gain their first win, but currently they sit above Lille at the bottom of the league – Lille, the geographical equivalents of Naples, love locked out.
The table:
Valsugana 69 points (unbeaten); Villorba 59; Colorno 50; Benetton 36; URC 28; Milan 20; Torino 11; Naples 1
It’s the same top three clubs as ever. And the more professional the sport becomes, the more talented and ambitious young players will be attracted there.
It’s significant that two clubs, Rome and Turin, have suffered penalty points. There can be many causes, but I suspect lack of full squads. Maybe coach drivers took a wrong turning.
Italy’s Six Nations Schedule
Round 1 v France away
Round 2 v Ireland away
Round 3 v Scotland home
Round 4 v England home
Round 5 v Wales away
This is a very unfavourable draw for the Azzurre. Two away games against strong opposition to start (why?); and three away games against only two in Parma.
Meantime John Mitchell is scratching around, seeing if he can put a squad together. News is due tomorrow, Friday.
