Giant 148kg Bath rookie among 36-man Italy Quilter Nations Series squad

Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada has named a 36-man squad for the upcoming Quilter Nations Series, with three potential debutants included ahead of Tests against Australia, South Africa and Chile.

The Azzurri assembled in Parma on Sunday, with preparations officially getting underway for their first match of the autumn against the Wallabies in Udine on November 8.

Quesada’s group will be joined early in the week by France-based stars Tommaso Allan and Ange Capuozzo, while all foreign-based players are expected to return to their clubs after Wednesday’s final full training session.

The Argentina-born coach has selected a largely settled group drawn primarily from Benetton Rugby, but with fresh faces pushing through.

Bath lock Enoch Opoku Gyamfi is one of the uncapped players named in the squad. The second-row is only nineteen years old but stands 6’5 and tips the scales at 148kg (23st 4lb/326lbs).

Born in Italy to Ghanaian parents, the powerhouse forward came through Benetton’s academy before joining Gallagher PREM side, impressing with his physicality and setpiece work.

He is joined by Zebre centre Damiano Mazza and Northampton wing Edoardo Todaro are all in line for possible first caps.

There are recalls for the likes of Marco Riccioni and Tommaso Allan, while captain Michele Lamaro once again leads a back row featuring Sebastian Negri and Lorenzo Cannone.

Italy will face Australia in Udine on 8 November, before hosting South Africa in Turin on 15 November and rounding off their campaign against Chile in Genoa on 22 November.

Italy squad for the Quilter Nations Series (36 players)

Props: Simone Ferrari (Benetton Rugby, 66 caps); Danilo Fischetti (Northampton Saints, 55); Muhamed Hasa (Zebre Parma, 3); Marco Riccioni (Saracens, 34); Mirco Spagnolo (Benetton Rugby, 16).

Hookers: Tommaso Di Bartolomeo (Zebre Parma, 3); Pablo Dimcheff (Colomiers Rugby, 2); Giacomo Nicotera (Stade Français, 34).

Locks: Niccolò Cannone (Benetton Rugby, 55); Riccardo Favretto (Benetton Rugby, 7); Enoch Opoku Gyamfi (Bath, debut); Federico Ruzza (Benetton Rugby, 64); Andrea Zambonin (Exeter Chiefs, 12).

Back row: Lorenzo Cannone (Benetton Rugby, 30); Alessandro Izekor (Benetton Rugby, 6); Michele Lamaro (Benetton Rugby, 48); Sebastian Negri (Benetton Rugby, 65); Manuel Zuliani (Benetton Rugby, 35); Ross Vintcent (Exeter Chiefs, 17).

Scrum-halves: Alessandro Garbisi (Benetton Rugby, 18); Martin Page-Relo (Bordeaux, 18); Stephen Varney (Exeter Chiefs, 34).

Fly-halves: Tommaso Allan (Perpignan, 86); Giacomo Da Re (Zebre Parma, 5); Paolo Garbisi (Toulon, 47).

Centres: Juan Ignacio Brex (Toulon, 46); Leonardo Marin (Benetton Rugby, 15); Damiano Mazza (Zebre Parma, debut); Tommaso Menoncello (Benetton Rugby, 31).

Back three: Ange Capuozzo (Stade Toulousain, 28); Monty Ioane (Lyon, 39); Louis Lynagh (Benetton Rugby, 7); Lorenzo Pani (Zebre Parma, 8); Edoardo Todaro (Northampton Saints, debut).

Additional invite: Mirko Belloni (Zebre Parma, 2).