Italy duo in hot water red-card tackle on Vermeulen
WORLD CUP NEWS: Italy replacement prop Nicola Quaglio has been cited for his involvement in a tackle on South Africa’s Duane Vermeulen which led to prop Andrea Lovotti being sent off during their Rugby World Cup clash.
Quaglio, who was cited by citing commissioner John Montgomery, had no action taken against him during Friday’s match between the two sides.
Lovotti was sent off for dropping Vermeulen on his head in the 43rd minute as Italy went on to lose 49-3 to the Springboks, with their slim hopes of progressing now resting on beating New Zealand for the first time.
The two players will appear at a disciplinary hearing set to take place in Tokyo on Sunday before a three-man panel.
Italy coach Conor O’Shea is already facing a crisis in the front row after two of his tighthead props, Simone Ferrari (hamstring) and replacement Marco Riccioni (concussion), both had to leave the field inside 18 minutes against the Boks, leading to uncontested scrums.
Should he lose Lovotti and Quaglio as well for the October 12 meeting with the All Blacks, O’Shea will have to call in replacements with only Tiziano Pasquali left in the squad.
O’Shea was scathing of the tackle post-match, describing it as “crass stupidity”.
