Italy call up Johan Meyer and Jimmy Tuivaiti for autumn internationals

Uncapped flankers Johan Meyer and Jimmy Tuivaiti have been called up by Italy for next month's autumn internationals.

South African-born Meyer and New Zealander Tuivaiti are part of a 37-man squad selected by head coach Conor O'Shea for a training camp in Verona from October 21-24.

Italy take on Six Nations champions Ireland on November 3 in Chicago before home Tests against Georgia, Australia and New Zealand on successive Saturdays.

Meyer and Tuivaiti were among the 14 Zebre players selected, while the Azzurri's squad also includes 19 players from Benetton.

Captain Sergio Parisse has been named despite being ruled out for Stade Francais with a calf muscle problem, as has Gloucester flanker Jake Polledri.

"We have selected a wider squad considering the challenges that await us this autumn and in view of the Rugby World Cup, now less than a year away, and we hope that most of the athletes will have the opportunity to take the field," said O'Shea.

The Italy injury list includes Matteo Minozzi, Leonardo Sarto, Angelo Esposito, Giovanni Licata, Maxime Mbanda and Federico Zani.

Luca Sprandio, who has impressed for Edinburgh in the PRO14, has also been named after winning his first two caps in the 2017 Six Nations against France and Scotland.

Italy squad

Props: Simone Ferrari, Andrea Lovotti, Tiziano Pasquali, Nicola Quaglia, Cherif Traore, Giosue Zilocchi.

Hookers: Luca Bigi, Oliviero Fabiani, Leonardo Ghiraldini.

Locks: George Biagi, Dean Budd, Marco Fuser, Marco Lazzaroni, Federico Ruzza, Alessandro Zanni.

Back rows: Renato Giammarioli, Johan Meyer, Sebastian Negri, Sergio Parisse (c), Jake Polledri, Abraham Steyn, Jimmy Tuivaiti.

Scrum-halves: Guglielmo Palazzani, Tito Tebaldi, Marcello Violin.

Fly-halves: Tommaso Allan, Carlo Canna, Ian McKinley.

Centres: Giulio Bisegni, Michele Campagnaro, Tommaso Castello, Luca Morisi.

Outside backs: Mattia Bellini, Tommaso Benvenuti, Jayden Hayward, Edoardo Padovani, Luca Sperandio.