Last hoorah for Gareth Krause
Aironi head coach Rowland Phillips has named the team that will face Ospreys on Friday evening in the team’s the final match of the season. Ospreys will be looking to extend their season by catching a crucial win that can qualify the Magners League champions to the play offs.
The biggest news in the Aironi line-up is in the back row, where the suspension of Nick Williams (who has collected his third yellow card of the season) has forced the coaching staff to shift Gareth Krause to No 8. It will be the final match of the South African’s career, as he announced his retirement last month.
Josh Sole takes the openside flanker spot, with the young Joshua Furno moving from the second row to the blindside. The pack is completed by an experienced second row of Internationals Marco Bortolami and Quintin Geldenhuys, while the front row sees Fabio Staibano and Alberto De Marchi at props, with Luigi Ferraro hooking.
Tito Tebaldi and James Marshall are again partnered at half back with Gabriel Pizarro and Gilberto Pavan together in midfield . Horacio San Martin will play at fullback with Danwel Demas and Matteo Pratichetti on the wings.
“This game represents the opportunity to play against the best team – on the papers – of the entire Magners League and one of the best in the European rugby. It’s another chance to match against some top players, but also the opportunity to play again a big role in this season”, said Aironi head coach Rowland Phillips.
“What I want to see from my team is the will to show once again how we grow up mentally during the season, staying concentrate for the whole game and using our structures to play a good rugby. First parts of a process we will continue in the next season”.
“You look at the Ospreys squad and you can see some of the best players in the world. What amazes me is how they struggled during the season both in the Magners League and in the Heineken Cup, where they failed to qualify for the knock-out stage”.
AIRONI starting XV:
15 Horacio San Martin
14 Matteo Pratichetti
13 Gilberto Pavan
12 Gabriel Pizarro
11 Danwel Demas
10 James Marshall
9 Tito Tebaldi
8 Gareth Krause
7 Josh Sole
6 Joshua Furno
5 Quintin Geldenhuys (cap)
4 Marco Bortolami
3 Fabio Staibano
2 Luigi Ferraro
1 Alberto De Marchi.
Replacements:
16 Fabio Ongaro
17 Andrea De Marchi
18 Luca Redolfini
19 George Biagi
20 Nicola Cattina
21 Pablo Canavosio
22 Giulio Toniolatti
23 Riccardo Bocchino