IT
ENA youth national team lives on discoveries, on names you didn’t know yesterday and can’t wait to see again today. This Italy U20 has lined up quite a few: here are the ones to keep an eye on at the World Championship in Georgia.
David Luisato, explosive in the air
He’s the name of the moment. Five tries in two tests — three against Spain, two against England — are already enough to get him noticed, but it’s the how that stands out: a command of the aerial game and an explosiveness off the jump rarely seen in Italy at this age. The Benetton Treviso wing tips the balance exactly where matches are often decided, in the lineout and on restarts.
Alessandro Ragusi, tactical intelligence from Racing
Ragusi comes from a different path, beyond the borders, at Racing Club de France. And he brings the most precious quality for a youth side: versatility. A full-back by position, but with the feet and the head to play fly-half and, when needed, even scrum-half. A player of reads, not just legs.
The others not to miss
Around the two revelations there’s a solid group. Casarin remains a fixture, and Braga — who scored against England — is among the most consistent. Keep an eye, too, on Mattia Andretti: a Mogliano scrum-half born in 2008, he’s the youngest of the squad among teammates born in 2006 and 2007, and he’s already claimed a spot. He doesn’t bring experience: he brings the future.
Who are Italy U20’s players to watch
The hot names are Luisato, an absolute surprise for his physicality and aerial game, and Ragusi, a technical utility man in the back line. The experience around them comes from the 2006-2007 players like Casarin and Braga; Andretti, born in 2008, is the bet on the future. But for Italy to go far, team performances will be needed: everyone, really, will be needed.
An explosiveness off the jump we’d perhaps never seen in Italy before.
Read also:
- Italia U20 al Mondiale: quanto vale questa generazione?
- Test pre-Mondiale: 55-27 alla Spagna e 24-19 all’Inghilterra
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