If it really is a "decent" Italian side then good, but exactly what would constitute such? How "decent" can they really be?

And for the record, I'm off to Cardiff, the quarter at ours and the final - i bought my tickets ages ago (and got my free beenie hat). So it's not any apathy towards the WC, just questioning how much of a run-out this fixture could actually be.

If we don't do well in this game I going to give McNamara a pizza my mind

Hope this wasn't aimed at me, I've already bought tickets to three games and will be attending all of the England ones, I can just see this being a really boring walkover. The exiles game was bad enough and that was fairly close. At the end of the day we go to rugby games to be entertained

After spending last summer working with the FIRL over there, I'm delighted to see this fixture!

all this thread derailing is getting PASTA joke

Aimed at a general audience rather then any individual. It's a general attitude in RL to moan about internationals but then you tend to find that these people don't attend.

I don't get people's issue with a friendly against Italy. Who should we have played? They'll have a stronger squad then Wales or France and we were never going to take on one of the big 2, NZ or Oz before the main event.

Any pre tournament friendly is never going to get the pulses racing like the main event but the negativity around the international game is pathetic.

Perhaps I underestimated the strength the side, I didn't realise they were up there with France and Wales.

England RU always play against the Barbarians as a warm up for the Six Nations, which is equally one sided and against a made up team yet 50 odd thousand turn up and support it. Our RL team play against a developing RL nation for some last minute WC preparation and yet the apathy kicks in the moment it's announced.

It is meant to include guys like the Minichiello brothers, Craig Gower, Terry Campese and a good few other NRL players. If it does it will certainly be more of a test then the fixture against the Welsh at Wrexham last year.

On a side note the Irish team looks strong again. It's crazy but Stuart Fielden is playing for them and they've got Ben Currie to turn out for them as we'll as Richards, Blanch, McDonnell etc.

The mind boggles at this selection stuff. I'd make it 'Whichever country you have lived in longest, you qualify for. Once you have debuted, you can't swap.'

Could well end up lining up something like

1. A. Minichiello (Roosters)
2. Mantellato (Knights reserve winger who had his debut this year, top point scorer 2012 in the NSW cup)
3. Berrigan (Raiders)
4. Nero (Salford?)
5. Tedesco (Tigers fullback)
6. Campese (Raiders)
7. Gower (Knights)
8. Snowden (Knights)
9. Humble (Panthers)
10. Laffranchi (St Helens)
11. M. Minichiello (Titans)
12. Guerra (Roosters)
13. Ciraldo (Panthers)

14. Mauro (Salford)
15. ?
16. Reithmuller (Cowboys Backrower)
17. Rovelli (Mackay Cutters, ex Warrior and Cowboy)


With a few other possibles knocking about like Trimarchi (ex-Crusaders) etc before you even need to look at the 2 domestic comps.

Before the whole country selection debate starts again, bare in mind Union have done it for years with their developing nations, as has cricket.

It doesn't make it any less annoying though, I wonder how many of those players even speak Italian

probably more than Wales have Welsh speakers

Including an ex-Italian international in RU in that very squad. If anything they're worse than us, but they make money out of it rather than complain.