Bishops boy to face Boks



Joburg-born Ross Vintcent has been named on Italy’s bench for the first Test against the Springboks at Loftus Versfeld.

The loose forward, who turns 24 on Saturday, went to school at Bishops in Cape Town and qualifies to play for Italy through his maternal grandfather.

Vintcent, who joined Exeter Chiefs from Zebre in 2022, made his Test debut against Ireland in 2023 and ended that year as Italy’s starting No 8 against the All Blacks. He featured in all five of the Azzurri’s Six Nations matches this year, including one start.

Coach Gonzalo Quesada has made seven changes to the starting XV that beat Namibia 73-6 last Friday. There is a new-look back three and centre pairing, while Lorenzo Cannone starts at No 8 in a reshuffled loose trio.

Italy will be captained for the first time by lock Niccolo Cannone.

KEO: The incredible journey of Ross Vintcent

Veteran prop Simone Ferrari – the only player in this squad who featured in Italy’s famous win against the Boks in Florence in 2016 – starts in the front row alongside Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, who earns his first start, and Danilo Fischetti.

Italy will face South Africa again on 12 July in Gqeberha.

ITALY – 15 Jacopo Trulla, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Marco Zanon, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giacomo Da Re, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Alessandro Izekor, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Niccolo Cannone (c), 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Bench: 16 Pablo Dimcheff, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Muhamed Hasa, 19 Matteo Canali, 20 Ross Vintcent, 21 David Odiase, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Giulio Bertaccini.

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Photo: Timothy Rogers/Getty Images



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