In less than a month, on February 5, the 2023 6 Nations will begin and for Italy, in Rome starting at 4 pm, there will immediately be an apparently insurmountable obstacle, that of France who won the tournament the year last.
And who now aims to do an encore, to then also pursue his first world title in the world tournament that he will host from 8 September to 28 October.
Thus the Azzurri will prepare with a first meeting scheduled in Verona from 22 to 27 January, for which coach Kieran Crowley has called up 34 players today.
Among them are four newcomers, one of whom comes from a Peroni Top 10 club, the prop Mirco Spagnolo of Petrarca Padova.
The other three on the first call of the senior national team play for Zebre and they are Matteo Nocera, Luca Rizzoli and Marco Manfredi.
The return to the blue of Jake Polledri should also be underlined, the 27-year-old Gloucester third row who recovered, after various operations and therapies, from the very bad injury of November 2020 during Italy-Scotland, when he sustained injuries to the ligaments of his right knee, calf, hamstring, tibia and fibula and neurological endings.
"We can't wait to take the field in the Six Nations. Over the last year we have worked hard to develop an identity as a team and earn respect and credibility - commented coach Crowley -. We have some new players and some returning and this tournament will give all of us the opportunity to continue building on that foundation that we have created."
The day following the end of the Crowley rally, i.e. January 28,
Crowley will announce the call-ups for the first two tests of the 6 Nations, those on Sunday 5 February against France and the one on the 12th at Twickenham against England.
(HANDLE).