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

Azzurri plus Azzurrini, all on the pitch. On one side, the tour of the senior national team, which includes three test matches: one today with Namibia and two at the home of world champion South Africa. On the other, the start, on Sunday, of the Under 20 World Cup, which this year is being held in Italy.

On the senior front, an expedition that is being faced with a "mixed" group. After the fifth place obtained in the Six Nations, Ct Gonzalo Quesada has chosen to bring a good number of players with few appearances for the national team or even waiting for their debut. A summer of rest for some senators, such as Ruzza, Lamaro (Giacomo Nicotera will be captain in his place, and then... we'll see), Allan and Paolo Garbisi. A nice series of opportunities for young and old, with three boys who could already make their debut this afternoon coming off the bench: "championing" are the hooker Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, the prop Muhamed Hasa and the fullback Mirko Belloni, the only one (with Giulio Bertaccini) who last season did not play abroad or in the superclubs Benetton Treviso and Zebre Parma, engaged in the Urc, an 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 in the blue team will have more opportunities to shine, starting with the anti-Namibian middle pair formed by Giacomo Da Re and Alessandro Fusco.

The match against Namibia is definitely within reach, on paper, while South Africa seems untouchable but could provide important indications and lessons two years before the next World Cup. Prop Giosuè Zilocchi (replaced by Simone Ferrari) and three-quarter Federico Mori have been out of action in the last few days due to injury. Winger Monty Ioane has withdrawn for family reasons and has been replaced by Louis Lynagh.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 - like every year - will be relegated to the lower level tournament.

England are defending their title, while the Azzurrini of outgoing coach Roberto Santamaria, fresh from tenth place in the last edition and a good fourth place in the Six Nations of the category, make their debut against none other than the Baby Blacks, namely the New Zealand Under 20s. With Ireland and Georgia (recently the bête noire of our boys) the matches that can be brought home.