Rookie tasked to keep Boks at bay
Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:23
Italy coach Nick Mallett has called on uncapped Aussie flyhalf Luke McLean to make his Test debut for Italy against the world Champions Springboks in the crucial position of flyhalf.
The 20-year-old McLean is one of four debutants in the Italian squad that will face the Boks at Newlands on Saturday. The other uncapped players are inside centre Gonzalo Garcia, and on the bench, prop Ignacio Rouyet and utility back Riccardo Pavan will also have their first Test match experience.
McLean has been playing most of his rugby in Brisbane in Australia, but made the move to Italy last November to play club rugby for Calvisano in the Italian Super 10 league.
But now McLean, a former Australia Under-19 player, suddenly finds himself thrust into the spotlight against the Springboks in their backyard.
"You've got to start somewhere, and if it's against the Boks, it's against the Boks I guess," he said wryly.
"I'm definitely excited, a little bit cautious as well. I don't really know what to expect as I've never played at this level."
Italy coach Nick Mallett said that he wanted his side not to focus on necessarily winning the match, but to try and be competitive for the entire match.
"I'm really hoping to see as many players playing for the full eighty minutes, and never letting their heads drop, no matter what the score is, because it's very tricky," said the coach.
Mallett also revealed a little more about one of the Italian players, Jaco Erasmus, who has strong South African links.
Lock Erasmus will provide Italy with another line-out option at Newlands.
"Erasmus is a youngster who left, I think, the Eastern Cape when he was pretty young, and has been playing for six or seven seasons in Italy," said Mallett.
"He's an exceptionally good line-out forward, but very light. He struggles to make a 100 kilos, but he's about 1.97 metres tall.
"So he's a very good line-out option, and in club rugby in Italy that's a huge advantage. He's also very quick.
"We're bringing him along because I believe we have to have four good line-out jumpers to be competitive. If any of my line-out jumpers get injured, he'll come on."
Mallett stated that he felt the team had to set realistic goals for themselves on their current summer tour in order to reap benefits from it, and that setting realistic goals was key to improving the squad as a whole.
The former Bok coach also felt that his Italy team were improving steadily year by year, and that the side made some real strides forward during this year's Six Nations tournament.
"With regards to competitiveness, you have to be intelligent about your goals," he continued.
"If you're coaching South Africa, and you don't win the World Cup, then it's a disappointment. When you're coaching Stade Francais, and you don't win the French Championship, then that's a disappointment.
"But I was incredibly proud of how this Italian side played against England and France.
"Those were the best two results by an Italian team in a Six Nations game, to lose by four points to England, who were the World Cup finalists.
"Although France made some extraordinary selections in the Six Nations, to go to Paris and lose by 13 points I think it was, and in the last 10 minutes to be on their line, looking as if we were going to score, was the best result Italy have had against France in the Six Nations," said Mallett.
Italy: 15 Andrea Marcato, 14 Kaine Robertson, 13 Andrea Masi, 12 Gonzalo Garcia, 11 Matteo Pratichetti, 10 Luke McLean, 9 Simon Picone, 8 Josh Sole, 7 Robert Barbieri, 6 Alessandro Zanni, 5 Carlo Antonio Del Fava, 4 Santiago Dellape, 3 Carlos Nieto, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Michele Rizzo.
Replacements: 16 Fabio Ongaro, 17 Ignacio Rouyet, 18 Jaco Erasmus, 19 Tommaso Reato, 20 Pablo
Canavosio, 21 Enrico Patrizio, 22 Riccardo Pavan.
Date: Saturday, June 21
Venue: Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Touch judges: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)
By Phil Coetzer
