We are barely halfway through the dreaded World Cup warm-up season and Italy in particular are feeling the pain from these, frankly, bloody awkward fixtures.
Brilliant young centre Tommaso Menoncello has definitely been ruled out of the World Cup with a painful bicep injury incurred during the final minutes against Ireland last week while Saracens formidable prop Marco Riccioni is struggling with a knee injury that forced him off much earlier in the game. Meanwhile No.8 Toa Halafihi pulled up lame warming up in Dublin.
The case of Menoncello, who went under the surgeon’s knife on Tuesday, i...