Head coach Gonzalo Quesada has named his Italy team to play England in their 2024 Six Nations opener in Rome.
RUCK’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations content powered by ISUZU.
Scroll down for the full Italy team to play England.
Gonzalo Quesada said ahead of the match against England:
“It’s been a busy week of work. There is great enthusiasm throughout the group for the debut at the Six Nations. The staff and all the players showed a great commitment trying to quickly immerse themselves in new methodologies. We will face the third (placed) team of the RWC 2023 in an exciting tournament, at our home in the Olympic Stadium will make its support felt. Focus is on our performance. We can’t wait to take the field,”
ITALY TEAM TO PLAY ENGLAND:
15 Tommaso ALLAN (Perpignan, 79 caps)
14 Ange CAPUOZZO (Stade Toulousain, 16 caps)
13 Juan Ignacio BREX (Benetton Rugby, 30 caps)
12 Tommaso MENONCELLO (Benetton Rugby, 12 caps)
11 Monty IOANE (Lione 25 caps)
10 Paolo GARBISI (Montpellier, 31 caps)
9 Alessandro GARBISI (Benetton Rugby, 7 caps)
8 Lorenzo CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 16 caps)
7 Michele LAMARO (Benetton Rugby, 33 caps) – cap
6 Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 52 caps)
5 Federico RUZZA (Benetton Rugby, 49 caps)
4 Niccolò CANNONE (Benetton Rugby, 36 caps)
3 Pietro CECCARELLI (Perpignan, 31 caps)
2 Gianmarco LUCCHESI (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
1 Danilo FISCHETTI (Zebre Parma, 36 caps)
Replacements
16 Giacomo NICOTERA (Benetton Rugby, 18 caps)
17 Mirco SPAGNOLO (Benetton Rugby, rebut)
18 Giosuè ZILOCCHI (Benetton Rugby, 16 caps)
19 Andrea ZAMBONIN (Zebre Parma, 3 caps)
20 Edoardo IACHIZZI (Benetton Rugby, 6 caps)
21 Manuel ZULIANI (Benetton Rugby, 17 caps)
22 Stephen VARNEY (Gloucester, 24 caps)
23 Lorenzo PANI (Zebre Parma, 5 caps)
Referee’s confirmed for the weekend:
Referee appointments for this weekend’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations matches, including the England vs Italy referee in Rome on Saturday have been confirmed.
France vs Ireland referee
Orange Velodrome, Marseille
Friday, 2 February, 2024
Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Jordan Way (RA)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Starting his journey as a scrum-half, Dickson showcased his skills at renowned clubs like Bedford Blues and Harlequins, culminating in a heartfelt retirement announcement in 2017. Reflecting on his playing days, he remarked, “I am able to look back at my playing career with great pride. I will cherish the memories that Harlequins has given me, both on and off the field.”
Expressing optimism for the future of his former team under John Kingston’s guidance, Dickson acknowledged the challenge of watching from the sidelines, saying, “It will be difficult to watch on from the peripheries going forward.” Notably, his younger brother, Lee, also left his mark on the rugby field, representing England.
Transitioning seamlessly from player to referee, Dickson embarked on a new chapter by studying to be a referee in 2014, even as he continued his professional playing career. His decision to pursue refereeing over a contract extension with Harlequins reflected a strategic choice for the long term, as he told Career Changers, “When it came to the final year in my contract, I had an offer on the table still from Harlequins to carry on. I thought the long-term-wise refereeing was probably something I wanted to do and pursue.”
Fast forward to 2022, and Karl Dickson is set to make his mark in the prestigious Six Nations tournament as a referee, with his debut match officiating Scotland vs. France. The chairman of the World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee, Graham Mourie, extended congratulations, noting, “I would like to extend my congratulations to Nika (Amashukeli), Damon (Murphy), and Karl, who will be refereeing their first Six Nations matches.”
Looking ahead, Dickson is poised to make his World Cup debut in the 2023 tournament, taking charge of the Wales vs. Portugal clash. Beyond the rugby arena, Dickson, a family man, shares twin daughters with his wife Jocelyn. Their story began on a night out in Clapham, where Dickson crossed paths with fellow player Mike Brown. Not just a rugby enthusiast, Dickson has also worn the hat of a blogger for the parenting website Baba, adding another dimension to his multifaceted persona.