Italy centre Tommaso Menoncello, who missed last year's Rugby World Cup through injury, was included in the country's Six Nations squad as new head coach Gonzalo Quesada selected his players on Tuesday.
A new era begins for Italian rugby after the Argentine took over from Kieran Crowley, who led Italy in the last two Six Nations championships and the World Cup, and Quesada has named five uncapped players in the 34-man squad.
Menoncello became the youngest-ever Six Nations try scorer on his debut against France in 2022, but missed the World Cup after picking up a bicep injury in Italy's defeat by Ireland in a warm-up game in August.
The 21-year-old only returned to action for Benetton in December, and took part in Italy's training camp earlier this month.
🇮🇹 𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗬 𝗦𝗜𝗫 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗗 🇮🇹
— Tight Five Rugby (@TightFive_Rugby) January 16, 2024
Gonzalo Quesada names his first squad as Italy head coach.
Exeter back row Ross Vintcent gets his first international call up.
Watch out for Alessandro Izekor…#GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/hraU96Djub
Props Matteo Nocera, Luca Rizzoli, Mirco Spagnolo, and flankers Alessandro Izekor and Ross Vintcent are the uncapped players included, in a squad which contains 17 Benetton players and eight from Zebre Parma.
Simone Ferrari, Paolo Odogwu, Dino Lamb and Marco Riccioni are all ruled out through injury and flanker Michele Lamaro remains as captain under the new coach, a role the 25-year-old has held since 2021.
Quesada and his squad will meet up in Verona on January 22, having only had the Italian-based players at his recent sessions.
"We will have the opportunity to work for the first time, even for just three days, with the entire group," Quesada said.
"Now we will go into the basics of our game and the attack and defence structures. We won't have much time available and we will try to concentrate the work as much as possible."
Italy begin their Six Nations campaign in Rome against England on February 3, before an away game against last year's Grand Slam winners Ireland eight days later.
SQUAD
Forwards: Pietro Ceccarelli, Danilo Fischetti, Matteo Nocera, Luca Rizzoli, Mirco Spagnolo, Giosue Zilocchi, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Marco Manfredi, Giacomo Nicotera, Niccolo Cannone, Edoardo Iachizzi, Federico Ruzza, Andrea Zambonin, Lorenzo Cannone, Riccardo Favretto, Alessandro Izekor, Michele Lamaro, Sebastian Negri, Ross Vintcent, Manuel Zuliani
Backs: Alessandro Garbisi, Martin Page-Relo, Stephen Varney, Tommaso Allan, Paolo Garbisi, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Federico Mori, Marco Zanon, Pierre Bruno, Ange Capuozzo, Monty Ioane, Simone Gesi, Lorenzo Pani