Pro12 News; Zebre Name 39-man squad for 2012/2013 season

Well, the new Italian franchise has unveiled their playing squad for the next season of Pro12 and Heineken Cup rugby. 19 Aironi players have transferred their allegiances to the new franchise, but they've also cherry picked a number of players from the Italian league including former Munster prop Dave Ryan.

MatÌas AguÎro (Aironi), Andrea de Marchi (Aironi), Salvatore Perugini (Aironi), Tommaso d'Apice (Aironi), Antonio Denti (Aironi), Andrea Manici (Crociati), Davide Giazzon (Rovigo), Flavio Tripodi (Crociati), Dave Ryan (Lazio), Luciano Leibson (San Luis), Marco Bortolami (Aironi), Quintin Geldenhuys (Aironi), Filippo Cazzola (Cavalieri Prato), Nicola Cattina (Aironi), Samuela Vunisa (Calvisano), Nicola Belardo (Cavalieri Prato), Michael van Vuuren (Crociati), Filippo Cristiano (Rovigo), Gonzalo PadrÚ (Treviso), Filippo Ferrarini (Aironi), Emiliano Caffini (Crociati), Tito Tebaldi (Aironi), Luca Martinelli (Fiamme Oro), Alberto Chillon (Petrarca Padova), Luciano Orquera (Aironi), Riccardo Bocchino (Cavalieri Prato), Kelly Haimona (Piacenza), Gilberto Pavan (Aironi), Matteo Pratichetti (Aironi), Roberto Quartaroli (Aironi), Alberto Chiesa (Cavalieri Prato), Denis Majstorovic (Cavalieri Prato), Gonzalo GarcÌa (Treviso), Giovanbattista Venditti (Aironi), Leonardo Sarto (Petrarca Padova), Alberto Benettin (Aironi), Paolo Buso (Aironi), Ruggero Trevisan (Aironi), David Odiete (Reggio).

Zebre will be led by rugby director Roberto Manghi, technical director Christian Gajan and coached by Vincenzo Troiani and former Italy scrum-half Alessandro Troncon. Former Italy hooker Fabio Ongaro, meanwhile, will take up the team manager's position after recently announcing his playing retirement.

This squad will do the development of indigenous Italian players the power of good- only one Non-Italian Eligible player in the entire list I believe, correct me if I'm wrong- but realistically, it looks like a weaker version of Aironi. The pressure will be on the new team from the start. They'll have the advantage of having a number of players who already know each other well from Aironi but this squad is fairly average and the learning curve for the new additions will be stiff. Most crucially some of the bigger names haven't carried over; unlike Aironi they won't be able to call upon the services of Carlo Del Fava, Mauro Bergamasco, Nick Williams or Andrea Masi.

The FIR have got their wish now that Aironi have been dispensed with; central control of a team they can use for the development of Italian players without the spectre of foreign players taking up valuable contracts. But the fight for this new franchise to gain credibility on the pitch could be a long one.

They will have 1 win vs Dragons

welshman4life wrote:They have 1 win vs Dragons

Did they already play a warm up game? Do you have a link?

Meant they will sorry

Right. . .

Good luck to them. And it would not surprise if they do show up and beat the Dragons.

Fantastic news! They should be able to walk into the HEC with that squad.

Portnoy wrote:Fantastic news! They should be able to walk into the HEC with that squad.

now don't be sore Portnoy, just cos the Italian union is permitted to send two teams under the current agreement!

Tell you what though, Zebre have go a superb logo

go to http://www.zebrerugby.com/ and scroll down towards the bottom

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

Portnoy wrote:Fantastic news! They should be able to walk into the HEC with that squad.

now don't be sore Portnoy, just cos the Italian union is permitted to send two teams under the current agreement!

Maybe they should have a special cup for them and LW

A slight digression, but will the ERC re-do the Amlin C draw, given that LWelsh are likely to have a different ranking to the Falcons?

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:A slight digression, but will the ERC re-do the Amlin C draw, given that LWelsh are likely to have a different ranking to the Falcons?

I am the one normally accused of exploring vipers' nests As. Good point. And I deliberately won't elucidate on that.

Ok so we have a squad of 39 players, with only 4 non Italians.

Kelly Haimona (Fly-half) from New Zealand, Luciano Leibson (Prop) Argentina, Dave Ryan (Prop) USA and, Samuela Vunisa (No 8) Fiji. Though 3of these players came from Italian semi pro teams, while Luciano Leibson came from Argentina.

Their weaker then Aironi to be honest

They always were going to be. The FIR always intended to use this as a chance to expose as many Italian players to this level as possible.

I'd rather have a team that is weak but sustainable than strong and living beyond their means in truth.

welshman4life wrote:They will have 1 win vs Dragons

Well, under their former guise they beat Biarritz and Munster so why not the Dragons? Actually, they could probably beat any team in the league 'on their day', so why just single out the Dragons?

Andrea Masi and Mauro Bergamasco are back on the market, well the transfer offers for those two will be interesting.

Its a pity they couldn't have kept Andrea Masi and Mauro Bergamasco, they are weaker than Aironi, but hopefully they can build on it better. Going to be hard to attract fans to a team that loses nearly every home game. They need to be winning these to get fans through the door, who wants to watch a team that constantally loses, and when big teams come over they are able to send out virtual 'A' sides and still win.

I can see Italians wanting to see Zebre V Leinster, but when its a Leinster team they don't know any of the players off and they still lose will they want to come back the following year?? They have to win these games to make Leinster send a stronger team the following year.

All fine and well having it filled with Italian players, but if they are always losing it won't attract crowds, or capture the Italians non fans attention to grow the game, and can that last in the long run??

formerly known as Sam wrote:Andrea Masi and Mauro Bergamasco are back on the market, well the transfer offers for those two will be interesting.

London Welsh?

Kingshu wrote:Its a pity they couldn't have kept Andrea Masi and Mauro Bergamasco, they are weaker than Aironi, but hopefully they can build on it better. Going to be hard to attract fans to a team that loses nearly every home game. They need to be winning these to get fans through the door, who wants to watch a team that constantally loses, and when big teams come over they are able to send out virtual 'A' sides and still win.

I can see Italians wanting to see Zebre V Leinster, but when its a Leinster team they don't know any of the players off and they still lose will they want to come back the following year?? They have to win these games to make Leinster send a stronger team the following year.

All fine and well having it filled with Italian players, but if they are always losing it won't attract crowds, or capture the Italians non fans attention to grow the game, and can that last in the long run??

Didn't people learn early on that you couldn't get away with turning up to either Treviso or Aironi with joke sides and expect an easy ride. I think that if any of the other sides take the attitude that these are a Aironi Lite side and that they should be easy, then we will see some nearly-upsets. And its those nearly-upsets that bring people back to watch the team as much, sometime maybe more, than wins.

Treviso away is a very tough game.

Don't think so As, considering they were at the Racing Metro and Stade Francais previously I would have thought that they could have gone back to France for a pension top up if they wanted. Bath may be an option as with Moody and Carraro gone and Donald becomming the 'marquee' signing there should be some wage room there for them. Japan also an option for some very serious pension top ups but that would make them unselectable for the national team and they both seem rather patriotic.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Don't think so As, considering they were at the Racing Metro and Stade Francais previously I would have thought that they could have gone back to France for a pension top up if they wanted. Bath may be an option as with Moody and Carraro gone and Donald becomming the 'marquee' signing there should be some wage room there for them. Japan also an option for some very serious pension top ups but that would make them unselectable for the national team and they both seem rather patriotic.

Whilst both seem rather patriotic, I think that Mauro may well have played his last game for Italy, so a 'big money' move wouldn't be such a bad thing. That said I am suprised that they are not in the Zebre squad, and that Treviso haven't signed them either.

Treviso are tough Aironi weren't.

This team is weaker than Aironi, you may point out the wins over Connacht and Munster, but Aironi played about 30 games at home and won about 4 of these, that can't be considered a place you'd worry about going to.

I hope that they improve and are better than Airoini but I don't see it this year, which means that if they do lose most of thier home games attracting new fans will be difficult, but everybody has to start somewhere.

Should still be a darn side better than London Welsh

Whilst both seem rather patriotic, I think that Mauro may well have played his last game for Italy, so a 'big money' move wouldn't be such a bad thing. That said I am suprised that they are not in the Zebre squad, and that Treviso haven't signed them either.

I'd imagine they've been made a better offer elsewhere SS, that or Arioni had tempted them back on big money and Zebre didn't want to be paying out that level of cash to an aging flanker and a talented utility back. Mauro might not have many more Italy games ahead of him but I would be suprised if he turned his back on the national team, more likely he'll hunt a tasty pension top up in France or at Bath.

This team is weaker than Aironi

Maybe, maybe not Kingshu. It's not all about the team on paper it's about the backroom staff as well. Arioni were tactically naive last season and with the coaching staff appointed here this Zebre team should be a bit more savvy. Well I hope so anyway as a win or two early doors will really generate some interest from the Italians, though the Italian Union would have probably preferred the football team to crash a burn at the Euros as that would have driven the neutrals away from football.

Feck me. They are going to get smashed for the next 2 years at least

from wiki

Player Position Union
Carlo Festuccia (From Aironi) Hooker Italy
Davide Giazzon (From Rovigo) Hooker Italy
Andrea Manici (From Crociati) Hooker Italy
Matías Agüero (From Aironi) Prop Italy
Andrea de Marchi (From Aironi) Prop Italy
Carlo Fazzari (From Treviso) Prop Italy
Luciano Leibson (From Club San Luis) Prop Argentina
Salvatore Perugini (From Aironi) Prop Italy
Luca Redolfini (From Aironi) Prop Italy
Dave Ryan (From Lazio) Prop United States
Flavio Tripodi (From Crociati) Prop Italy
Marco Bortolami (From Aironi) Lock Italy
Filippo Cazzola (From Cavalieri Prato) Lock Italy
Quintin Geldenhuys (From Aironi) Lock Italy
Josh Sole (From Aironi) Lock Italy
Michael van Vuren (From Crociati) Lock Italy
Nicola Belardo (From Cavalieri Prato) Flanker Italy
Mauro Bergamasco (From Aironi) Flanker Italy
Emiliano Caffini (From Crociati) Flanker Italy
Nicola Cattina (From Aironi) Flanker Italy
Filippo Cristiano (From Rovigo) Flanker Italy
Filippo Ferrarini (From Aironi) Flanker Italy
Player Position Union
Alberto Chillon (From Petrarca Padova) Scrum-half Italy
Luca Martinelli (From Fiamme Oro) Scrum-half Italy
Tito Tebaldi (From Aironi) Scrum-half Italy
Alberto Benettin (From Aironi) Fly-half Italy
Paolo Buso (From Aironi) Fly-half Italy
Luciano Orquera (From Aironi) Fly-half Italy
Gonzalo García (From Treviso) Centre Italy
Andrea Masi (From Aironi) Centre Italy
Samuele Pace (From Rovigo) Centre Italy
Roberto Quartaroli (From Aironi) Centre Italy
David Odiete (From Reggio) Wing Italy
Matteo Pratichetti (From Aironi) Wing Italy
Leonardo Sarto (From Petrarca Padova) Wing Italy
Sinoti Sinoti (From Aironi) Wing Samoa
Giovanbattista Venditti (From Aironi) Wing Italy
Ruggero Trevisan (From Aironi) Fullback Italy

Players and their allocated positions from the Zebre Rugby Website[19] as at 3 July 2012.

looks like Mauro Bergamasco and Andrea Masi have been added,

Looks like they can field a first XV that have all been capped internationally (expect at 6 and 8)

Maybe not as bad a side as first feared.

Kinghsu - I can't wait for the comments off whoever it is to lose to them first.

Well if they have managed to get Mauro and Masi on board then they become a whole lot more dangerous. Flyhalf still looks underwhelming but there are some good players in the backs like young winger Vendetti.

I'm delighted if they have added Mauro and Masi. Great acquisitions.

Still hoping to get them early at Ravenhill mind you.

would rather have them away early as they will be more dangerous at home over time, as team gels and tactics are learned.

I maybe misjudged them earlier, as they do seem to have a decent first XV, and a lot of internationals. maybe instead of being firmly at the bottom of the table they may battle well to avoid the woodenspoon.