Martin Castrogiovanni left out of Italy squad by Conor O'Shea
Monday 16 May 2016 19:04, UK
Italy coach Conor O'Shea has left out experienced prop Martin Castrogiovanni and included several new faces in a 30-man squad for a summer tour of the Americas.
The former Harlequins director has hinted at his future selection plans as he tries to transform an Italy side left battered and demoralised after their last Six Nations campaign.
Italy, who finished bottom of the Six Nations table, face Argentina, the United States and Canada this summer in what will be their first Tests under the helm of the former Ireland full-back.
Among the notable absentees from O'Shea's 30-strong list announced on Monday are Castrogiovanni, long-time captain Sergio Parisse and back row forwards Francesco Minto and Alessandro Zanni.
While Stade Francais hooker Parisse, Minto and Zanni have all been simply rested for the summer tour, Castrogiovanni looks to have paid the price for a recent spell of off-the-pitch shenanigans.
The 119-times capped prop Castrogiovanni was recently suspended by his French Top 14 club Racing 92 after being caught partying in Las Vegas with players from football club Paris Saint-Germain.
At the time, Castrogiovanni was supposed to be in Nottingham to support his team in the European Champions Cup semi-final against Leicester.
Not picked for that game, he informed Racing he had to return home to Argentina on family business.
But he was caught out when PSG star Zlatan Ibrahimovic posted photographs of Castrogiovanni in the Nevada casino city on his Instagram account.
"He hurt the club and his teammates," said Racing's forwards coach Laurent Travers, "and in some ways, he has hurt the entire staff."
The absences, meanwhile, should give a clutch of new Azzurri faces a chance to show O'Shea what they can do.
Centres Tommaso Castello and Tommaso Boni, who have earned previous selections but not yet played for Italy, prop Simone Ferrari and back rower Maxime Mbanda are among four debutants on the list.
Italy kick off their summer tour on June 11 with a tough fixture against World Cup semi-finalists Argentina at Comodoro Rivadavia in the south of the country.
A week later, they face the USA in San Jose (California), then on June 26 they play Canada in Toronto.
Italy squad: Backs - Luke McLean (Treviso), David Odiete (Marchiol Mogliano), Angelo Esposito (Treviso), Leonardo Sarto (Zebre), Giovanbattista Venditti (Newcastle Falcons), Giulio Bisegni (Zebre), Tommaso Boni (Zebre), Michele Campagnaro (Exeter Chiefs), Tommaso Castello (Calvisano), Tommaso Allan (Perpignan), Carlo Canna (Zebre), Edoardo Gori (Treviso), Alberto Lucchese (Treviso) Guglielmo Palazzani (Zebre).
Forwards - Pietro Ceccarelli (Zebre), Lorenzo Cittadini (Wasps), Simone Ferrari (Treviso), Andrea Lovotti (Zebre), Matteo Zanusso (Treviso), Oliviero Fabiani (Zebre), Ornel Gega (Treviso), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Leicester), Valerio Bernaba (Zebre), Marco Fuser (Treviso), Quintin Geldenhuys (Zebre), Robert Julian Barbieri (Treviso), Simone Favaro (Glasgow), Maxime Mbanda (Calvisano), Abraham Steyn (Treviso), Andries van Schalkwik (Zebre).
