Brunel announces 40-man Italy World Cup squad

Italy coach Jacques Brunel on Thursday unveiled a provisional 40-man squad for the 2015 World Cup, with an additional 10 players on stand-by, the Italian federation announced.

Captain Sergio Parisse and prop Martin Castrogiovanni, still involved in the French championship semi-finals, will join the group late after a break.

The squad will meet for the first time for a training camp near Bolzano from June 14 to July 3, before moving on to L'Aquila (July 12-25) then Fiuggi near Rome (August 2-9).

Brunel will announce his final 31-strong squad on August 9.

Italy warm up for the Sept 18-Nov 1 World Cup with tests against Scotland (Aug 22 and Aug 29) in Turin and in Edinburgh, and against Wales (Sept 5) in Cardiff.

Italy squad

Forwards

Matias Aguero (Zebre), Martin Castrogiovanni (Toulon/FRA), Dario Chistolini (Zebre), Lorenzo Cittadini (Wasps/ENG), Alberto De Marchi (Sale/ENG), Michele Rizzo (Leicester/ENG), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Leicester/ENG), Davide Giazzon (Treviso), Andrea Manici (Zebre), Valerio Barnabo (Zebre), George Biagi (Zebre), Marco Bortolami (Zebre), Joshua Furno (Newcastle/ENG), Marco Fuser (Treviso), Quintin Geldenhuys (Zebre), Robert Barbieri (Leicester/ENG), Marco Barbini (Treviso), Mauro Bergamasco (Zebre), Simone Favaro (Treviso), Francesco Minto (Treviso), Sergio Parisse (Stade Français/FRA), Samuela Vunisa (Zebre), Alessandro Zanni (Treviso)

Backs

Edoardo Gori (Treviso), Guglielmo Palazzani (Zebre), Marcello Violi (Calvisano), Kelly Haimona (Zebre), Tommaso Allan (Perpignan/FRA), Enrico Bacchin (Treviso), Tommaso Benvenuti (Bristol/ENG), Michele Campagnaro (Treviso), Angelo Esposito (Treviso), Gonzalo Garcia (Zebre), Andrea Masi (Wasps/ENG), Luke McLean (Sale), Luca Morisi (Treviso), Simone Ragusi (Treviso), Leonardo Sarto (Zebre), Giovanbattista Venditti (Zebre), Michele Visentin (Zebre)

Reserves

Tommaso Boni (Mogliano), Carlo Canna (Fiamme Oro), Leandro Cedaro (La Rochelle/FRA), Tommaso D'Apice (Zebre), Andrea De Marchi (Zebre), Paul Derbyshire (Treviso), Andrea Lovotti (Zebre), Alberto Lucchese (Treviso), Alberto Sgarbi (Treviso), Giulio Toniolatti (Zebre)
Source: AFP