Adding injury to insult for Italy
NEWS: Italy hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi has been ruled out of the rest of the Six Nations with a dislocated left elbow, the Italian Rugby Federation said on Monday.
The FIR said in a statement that Lucchesi would “miss the next two matches”, Italy’s final fixtures against Scotland in Rome and in Wales, and that the exact length of his layoff would be determined following tests with his Pro14 club Benetton.
It added that Stephen Varney has pain in his thigh, with the Gloucester scrum-half set to undergo “further tests in the coming days to assess his condition”.
Lucchesi was the starting hooker for Sunday’s 57-6 hammering at the hands of Ireland in Dublin, of which Italy had to play the majority with 13 men.
The 21-year-old was replaced in the eighth minute at Lansdowne Road by Hamer Faiva, who was then sent off for contact with Dan Sheehan’s head 10 minutes later.
Faiva’s dismissal left Italy without a specialist hooker, meaning that they were reduced to 13 men under World Rugby’s law punishing the side which forced uncontested scrums.
The Irish, who were leading 7-3 at that point after Joey Carbery converted his own try, dotted down eight more times to inflict a 35th successive Six Nations defeat on depleted Italy.
Kieran Crowley’s side sit bottom of the Six Nations standings and look certainties to pick up another wooden spoon.
