Azzurri call up Scottish recruit
Italian-Scottish flyhalf Tommaso Allan is one of two new call-ups to a 35-man Italian squad for two training camps prior to three November Tests.
The new squad was revealed by coach Jacques Brunel.
Allan, born in Vicenza and who came through London Wasps' youth programme, has already played for Scotland in the Under-20 version of the Six Nations.
But with Italian heritage and having shown promise for Perpignan in France's Top 14, the 20-year-old has been handed the chance to claim a place in Italy's final squad for November Tests against Australia, Fiji and Argentina.
Brunel has also called up fellow rookies Ruggero Trevisan and centre Michele Campagnaro for the training camps to be held at the end of the month.
Although Trevisan was part of Italy's tour of South Africa, neither he, Campagnaro nor Allan have played for Italy.
Brunel will name his final 30-man squad on November 3.
The Azzurri finished a respectable fourth in the 2013 Six Nations having come close to beating Australia last November – going down 19-22 in Bologna.
Italy host Australia in Turin on November 9, Fiji in Cremona on November 16 and host Argentina at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on the 23rd.
Italy:
Backs: Tobias Botes (Treviso), Alberto Chillon (Zebre), Edoardo Gori (Treviso), Tommaso Allan (Perpignan/FRA), Alberto Di Bernardo (Treviso), Luciano Orquera (Zebre), Michele Campagnaro (Treviso), Gonzalo Canale (Stade Rochelais/FRA), Gonzalo Garcia (Zebre), Luca Morisi (Treviso), Alberto Sgarbi (Treviso), Tommaso Benvenuti (Perpignan/FRA), Tommaso Iannone (Zebre), Luke McLean (Treviso), Leonardo Sarto (Zebre), Ruggero Trevisan (Zebre), Giovanbattista Venditti (Zebre)
Forwards: Matias Aguero (Zebre), Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester/ENG), Lorenzo Cittadini (Treviso), Alberto De Marchi (Treviso), Michele Rizzo (Treviso), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Treviso), Davide Giazzon (Zebre), Andrea Manici (Zebre), Valerio Bernabo (Treviso), Marco Bortolami (Zebre), Joshua Furno (Narbonne/FRA), Antonio Pavanello (Treviso), Robert Barbieri (Treviso), Mauro Bergamasco (Zebre), Simone Favaro (Treviso), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais/FRA), Manoa Vosawai (Treviso), Alessandro Zanni (Treviso).
AFP
