Vintcent to Start for Italy Against Samoa in Summer Tour Opener

Ross Vintcent has been selected to start for Italy against Samoa in the opening test of the Italian 2024 Summer Tour.

Gonzalo Quesada, Head Coach of the Italian Men's National Rugby Team, has named the line-up that will face Samoa in Apia on Friday 5 July at 6 am Italian time in the first of three Test Matches of the international summer window. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Uno and streamed on NOW.

It will be the ninth meeting between the two teams, the third in Apia where the Samoan XV has never conceded a loss to the Azzurri, with five previous meetings in favour of Samoa and three of Italy. The match will be refereed by New Zealand referee Paul Williams.

Matt Gallagher, fresh from signing with Benetton Rugby and Quesada's fifth rookie in the team, makes his debut in the back three, flanked on the wings by Louis Lynagh and veteran Monty Ioane. The starting pair of centers at the 2024 Guinness Six Nations is proven, with Brex and the MVP of the 2024 Tournament Menoncello, while the keys to the midfield will once again be entrusted to Paolo Garbisi and Varney.

In the back row together with captain Lamaro, Vintcent and Izekor will start. In the second row Ruzza and Niccolò Cannone, while in the front row Quesada chooses the experienced trio of Ferrari, Lucchesi and Fischetti.

Ready to take over from the bench are Loris Zarantonello – another rookie along with Gallagher – Spagnolo, Zilocchi, Iachizzi, Zuliani, Lorenzo Cannone, Page-Relo and Marin.

Italy:

15 Matt GALLAGHER (Benetton Rugby, debutant)
14 Louis LYNAGH (Benetton Rugby, 2 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 35 caps)
12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
11 Monty IOANE (Lyon Olimpique, 30 caps)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Toulon RC, 36 caps)
9 Stephen VARNEY (Gloucester Rugby, 29 caps)

8 Ross VINTCENT (Exeter Chiefs, 4 caps)
7 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 38 caps) – captain
6 Alessandro IZEKOR (Benetton Rugby, 2 caps)
5 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 54 caps)
4 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 41 caps)
3 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 53 caps)
2 Gianmarco LUCCHESI (Benetton Rugby, 22 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (Zebre Parma, 41 caps)

Replacements:
16 Loris ZARANTONELLO (Castres, debutant)
17 Mirco SPAGNOLO (Benetton Rugby, 5 caps)
18 Giosuè ZILOCCHI (Benetton Rugby, 21 caps)
19 Edoardo IACHIZZI (Benetton Rugby, 6 caps)
20 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 21 caps)
21 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 19 caps)
22 Martin PAGE-RELO (Lyon Olimpique, 8 caps)
23 Leonardo MARIN (Benetton Rugby, 9 caps)