Italy name Provisional World Cup squad

Nick Mallett has named a provisional squad of 43 players for the World Cup in New Zealand later this year; Josh Sole and Kaine Robertson are two stalwarts who haven't made the cut. Instead there is a focus on young homegrown talent with Mallett being ballsy and taking a look at some less established players, especially in the backs.

http://www.planetrugby.co.uk/story/0,25883,16024_6960828,00.html

Italy squad:

Forwards: Lorenzo Cittadini (Benetton Treviso), Alberto de Marchi (Aironi), Salvatore Perugini (Aironi), Tommaso D'Apice (Rome), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso), Fabio Ongaro (Aironi), Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Métro), Carlo Festuccia (Racing-Métro), Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester), Valerio Bernabo (Benetton Treviso), Joshua Furno (Aironi), Quintin Geldenhuys (Aironi), Marco Bortolami (Aironi), Carlo Antonio del Fava (Aironi), Cornelius Van Zyl (Benetton Treviso), Robert Barbieri (Benetton Treviso), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Français), Paul Derbyshire (Benetton Treviso), Manoa Vosawai (Benetton Treviso), Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais)

Backs: Pablo Canavosio (Aironi), Fabio Semenzato (Benetton Treviso), Edoardo Gori (Treviso), Riccardo Bocchino (Aironi), Kristopher Burton (Treviso) Tommaso Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso), Gonzalo Garcia (Benetton Treviso), Luciano Orquera (Aironi), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont Auvergne), Durandt Gerber (Gran Parma), Denis Majstorovic (Prato), Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso), Gilberto Pavan (Aironi), Mirco Bergamasco (Racing-Métro), Andrea Masi (Aironi), Andrea Pratichetti (Benetton Treviso), Matteo Pratichetti (Aironi), Michele Sepe (Benetton Treviso), Alberto Sgarbi (Benetton Treviso), Giulio Toniolatti (Benetton Treviso), Ruggero Trevisan (BMP Parma)

It's great to see how many of that squad come from the two Italian ML sides- the other side of the coin is that I seriously worry about them during the RWC. How do you rate this groups chances?

It seems the traditional dichotomy of tough, rugged forwards who'll give anybody a game but are let down by the lack of class behind the scrum is still alive. Their halfbacks look weak and I don't see anyone there who will really take the game by the scruff of the neck. It's a glaring weakness. Canale, Masi and Mirco Bergamasco are dangerous though and they can cause teams problems if taken lightly.

We'd be very foolish indeed to underestimate them given the scare we got in Rome this year!

Hmmm, good to see Mallet promoting youth. I guess it's easier to do that when you know you're moving on afterwards ...