Premiership
Italians announce squad for Tigers trip
For international scrum-half Alessandro Troncon will take charge of the Italian Select XV squad for their fixture against Leicester Tigers next month.
Troncon, the first Italian to reach 100 Test caps in a career played with Treviso and ASM Clermont Auvergne, leads a squad for the fixture against Tigers as part of a Mattioli Woods Welford Road double header on Saturday, November 5 which also features a women’s league derby fixture.
The squad includes six senior internationals and is selected from Benetton and Zebre players not selected for the Autumn Nations Series alongside younger prospects from their new academies and Italy’s TOP10 league all looking to push their claims within the Azzurri pathway.
The match against the Italian visitors, which kicks off at 1.00pm, will be followed by the Women’s Championship North fixture between Tigers and derby rivals Loughborough Town Ladies at 3.15pm in a first-ever club double header.
Entry is included in season tickets and all areas of the stadium will be open.
Double Header match tickets are on general sale, priced from just £22 adult / £10 under-18s. Book online or by phoning 0116 319 8888 (option 2).
All match tickets, car parking and matchday bus travel purchased for the cancelled Tigers versus Wasps fixture (October 23) will be transferred to this double header. Original tickets remain valid to use at the turnstiles and no new ticket will need to be issued.
Season ticket holders and match ticket purchasers for the original fixture have been emailed full details.
Women’s team season ticket holders will be issued with a code to rebook for the double header following the change of kick-off details. Check your emails from the Leicester Tigers ticket office for full details.
Italian Select XV squad
Filippo Alongi (Benetton Rugby Treviso, 1 Cap)
Mattia Bellini (Benetton Rugby Treviso, 31 Caps)
Giulio Bertaccini (Valorugby Emilia)
Nicolò Casilio (Zebre Rugby Club)
Lorenzo Citton (Rugby Petrarca)
Giacomo Da Re (Benetton Rugby Treviso, 1 Cap)
Filippo Drago (Benetton Rugby Treviso)
Matteo Drudi (Benetton Rugby Treviso)
Lapo Frangini (Us Firenze Rugby 1931)
Simone Gesi (Zebre Rugby Club)
Muhamed Hasa (Zebre Rugby Club)
Alessandro Izekor (Benetton Rugby Treviso)
Leonard Krumov (Zebre Rugby Club)
Marco Manfredi (Zebre Rugby Club)
Giovanni Montemauri (Femi-Cz Rugby Rovigo Delta)
Matteo Nocera (Zebre Rugby Club)
Lorenzo Pani (Zebre Rugby Club)
Nicola Piantella (Benetton Rugby Treviso)
Luca Rizzoli (Zebre Rugby Club)
Davide Ruggeri (Zebre Rugby Club)
Mirco Spagnolo (Rugby Petrarca)
Jacopo Trulla (Zebre Rugby Club, 8 Caps)
Ross Vintcent (Exeter Chiefs)
Andrea Zambonin (Zebre Rugby Club, 2 Caps)
Marco Zanon (Benetton Rugby Treviso, 15 Caps)
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Sale Sharks can confirm that fly-half George Ford suffered a tear to his right quad during the early stages of the Gallagher Premiership round two game at Saracens on Saturday. Following a positive consultation with a specialist it was decided that George does not require surgery and he will now begin his rehab ahead of a busy period for club and country.
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Alex Sanderson has made six changes to his starting XV to face Gloucester Rugby in the first game of the season under the Salford Stadium Friday night lights, while summer signing Le Roux Roets appears in a matchday squad for the first time (Discovery+, 7.45pm KO).
Josh Beaumont, Ernst van Rhyn and Rouban Birch come into the pack following the round two defeat at Saracens, while Sam Bedlow, Will Addison and Arron Reed are picked in the backs to face George Skivington’s men.
In total, 12 of the XV and 19 in the matchday 23 have come through or spent time in the Sharks Academy.
The Sharks front-row remains intact from the trip to the StoneX as England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up once again between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and loosehead Si McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Ben Bamber teams up with Josh Beaumont.
With Ben and Tom Curry as well as JL du Preez all missing as they undergo their return to play protocols following head injuries, Ernst van Rhyn returns alongside fellow flanker Sam Dugdale and Birch at number 8.
Gus Warr starts again at scrum-half but with George Ford injured (quad) he’ll have skipper Rob du Preez for company at half-back. After coming on as a replacement against Saracens, Bedlow starts alongside Addison, who makes his first start since re-joining the club in the summer.
Speedster Arron Reed makes his first appearance of the season alongside Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter.
Hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper cover the front row from the replacements bench with England U20s lock Tom Burrow and summer signing Le Roux Roets covering the rest of the forwards. Nye Thomas, Tom Curtis and Waisea Nayacalevu cover the backs.
Sale Sharks starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Will Addison, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Josh Beaumont 6. Ernst van Rhyn, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Rouban Birch.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Tom Burrow, 20. Le Roux Roets, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Waisea Nayacalevu.
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Injuries have forced Alex Sanderson to make three changes to his starting XV to face Saracens at the StoneX on Saturday (3.05pm KO, Saturday 28th September, live on TNT Sports).
Si McIntyre replaces last week’s Player of the Match Bevan Rodd (hamstring), while Ben Bamber and Sam Dugdale come in for Ernst van Rhyn and Tom Curry who are both undergoing their return to play protocols after leaving the field during the round one win over Harlequins.
With Sam Bedlow returning to the bench to make a 5-3 split, the matchday squad features 16 players who have come through or been involved with the Sale Sharks Academy.
In the front-row, England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and returning loosehead McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Bamber teams up with Hyron Andrews.
Openside flanker Ben Curry captains the side again and he and Dugdale will pack down either side of Jean-Luc du Preez at number 8.
The backs are unchanged from the narrow win over Quins, with Gus Warr starting again at scrum-half alongside fly-half George Ford, and Rob du Preez and Waisea Nayacalevu outside them in the centres.
Alex has picked a familiar back three once again with Tom O’Flaherty, Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter hoping to provide the spark.
The replacements bench is an exclusively Sharks Academy affair with hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper covering the front row. Josh Beaumont and Rouban Birch make up the rest of the forwards, while Nye Thomas, Bedlow and Will Addison cover the backs.
Sale Sharks Starting lineup:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 12. Rob du Preez, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Sam Dugdale, 7. Ben Curry ©, 8. Jean-Luc du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Rouban Birch, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Will Addison.
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