Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada has included the uncapped South Africa-born Exeter Chiefs back-row Ross Vintcent in his first squad for the 2024 Six Nations.
Vintcent has been in impressive form for the Chiefs this season and is rewarded with a call-up as new Italy boss Quesada takes charge of his first Championship at the helm.
The number eight came through the Italian Rugby Federation Academy before moving to the Premiership outfit where he has featured mostly off the bench this campaign.
Vintcent joins prop trio Matteo Nocera, Luca Rizzoli and Mirco Spagnolo and back-row Alessandro Izekor as the uncapped players selected ahead of their fixture with England.
As well as the new faces there’s plenty of experience in the Azzurri squad named by Quesada as the likes of Pietro Ceccarelli, Danilo Fischetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Niccolò Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Lorenzo Cannone, Michele Lamaro and Sebastian Negri all feature in their forward pack as look to cause another shock in the .
There is also seniority in the backline where Stephen Varney, Tommaso Allan and Paolo Garbisi are among the half-back options, with Allan closing in on an 80th cap for Italy.
Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Federico Mori and Marco Zanon make up the Azzurri’s midfield picks while Pierre Bruno, Ange Capuozzo, Monty Ioane, Simone Gesi and Lorenzo Pani will be battling it out for starting spots out wide, with Ioane now plying his trade in the Top 14 in Lyon colours and Capuozzo playing for Toulouse.
After their home fixture against England on Saturday, February 3, Italy will travel to Ireland and then France before hosting Scotland and finishing on the road at Wales.
Forwards: Pietro Ceccarelli (Perpignan), Danilo Fischetti (Zebre Parma), Matteo Nocera (Zebre Parma), Luca Rizzoli (Zebre Parma), Mirco Spagnolo (Benetton Rugby), Giosuè Zilocchi (Benetton Rugby), Gianmarco Lucchesi (Benetton Rugby), Marco Manfredi (Zebre Parma), Giacomo Nicotera (Benetton Rugby), Niccolò Cannone (Benetton Rugby), Edoardo Iachizzi (Benetton Rugby), Federico Ruzza (Benetton Rugby), Andrea Zambonin (Zebre Parma), Lorenzo Cannone (Benetton Rugby), Riccardo Favretto (Benetton Rugby), Alessandro Izekor (Benetton Rugby), Michele Lamaro (Benetton Rugby), Sebastian Negri (Benetton Rugby), Ross Vintcent (Exeter), Manuel Zuliani (Benetton Rugby)
Backs: Alessandro Garbisi (Benetton Rugby), Martin Page-Relo (Lyon), Stephen Varney (Gloucester), Tommaso Allan (Perpignan), Paolo Garbisi (Montpellier), Juan Ignacio Brex (Benetton Rugby), Tommaso Menoncello (Benetton Rugby), Federico Mori (Bayonne), Marco Zanon (Benetton Rugby), Pierre Bruno (Zebre Parma), Ange Capuozzo (Toulouse), Monty Ioane (Lyon), Simone Gesi (Zebre Parma), Lorenzo Pani (Zebre Parma)
