Rugby, African tour for Azzurri and Under-20 World Cup in Italy

Azzurri plus Azzurrini, all on the field. On the one hand the tour of the major national team, which includes three test matches: one today with Namibia and two at home to world champion South Africa. On the other the start, on Sunday, of the Under-20 World Cup, which this year will be played in Italy.

On the senior front an expedition is being tackled with a 'mixed' group. After the fifth place obtained at the Six Nations, coach Gonzalo Quesada chose to bring a good number of players with few appearances in the Azzurri or even waiting for their debut. Summer of rest for some senators, such as Ruzza, Lamaro (captain in his place will be Giacomo Nicotera, and then... we will see), Allan and Paolo Garbisi. A good series of opportunities for young and old, with three youngsters who could already make their debut this afternoon coming off the bench: hooker Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, prop Muhamed Hasa and fullback Mirko Belloni, the only one (along with Giulio Bertaccini) who did not play abroad or in the Benetton Treviso and Zebre Parma superclubs last season, playing in the Urc, the international championship. In short, Belloni participated in the Italian Serie A Élite, won it with Rovigo and was voted best player of the tournament. Other men on the Azzurri's roster will have more opportunities to shine, starting with the anti-Namibia centre-half pair formed by Giacomo Da Re and Alessandro Fusco.

The match against Namibia is definitely within reach, on paper, while South Africa seems unreachable but could provide important indications and lessons two years away from the next World Cup. Out of action in the last few days due to injury were prop Giosuè Zilocchi (replaced by Simone Ferrari) and three-quarter Federico Mori. Monty Ioane, winger, withdrew for family reasons and was replaced by Louis Lynagh.

And here we are at the "World Rugby U20 Championship": four venues - Calvisano, Verona, Viadana and Rovigo, which will host the final for first place on Saturday 19 June - and 12 national teams that bring together practically all the best of youth rugby. Three groups of four teams, and after the first phase three "types" of semi-finals: those that will determine the places from first to fourth (with the first of the three groups and the best second), from fourth to eighth, and from ninth to twelfth, with the last one that - as every year - will relegate to the lower level tournament.

Defending the title is England, while the Azzurrini of the outgoing coach Roberto Santamaria, returning from the tenth place in last year's edition and from a good fourth place in the Six Nations in their category, make their debut against none other than the Baby Blacks, i.e. the New Zealand Under-20s. With Ireland and Georgia (recently the black beast of our boys) the matches they can take home.