................[url=http://www.sportinglife.com/rugby-league/news/article/480/8803403/england-to-face-italy-in-warm-upItaly[/url

Should provide a stern test before we face Australia and New Zealand

For gods sake. Didn't they used to play exhibition games against SL clubs before a test series? Surely that would make more sense, and dare I say it, a few fans might actually turn up

Italy look to have a strong line up for the World Cup so it could actually be a pretty good test.

Also from our point of view, dependant on how things develop we may have our new fullback playing for Italy so there's an added interest for Wigan fans, potentially.

"The match against Italy represents the final piece in the jigsaw for England," said England coach Steve McNamara.
"It will allow us to put the finishing touches to our extensive preparations for the World Cup."




Although, it might get marginally more people watching than the second billing at Cardiff

Ticket prices will be interesting to see, probably more cost effective to play it behind closed doors

For heaven's sake give the guy a break. It's not like he has much choice out there. The only Super League team he could play would be those who didn't qualify for the playoffs, then subtract those with Aussie coaches (why should they bother about helping England?) and Wakefield (coach is with France) and you're left with...Salford or maybe Widnes (on a banned pitch!!)

He probably didn't fancy lining up against the likes of Tonga and Samoa and can you really blame him. Someone is bound to get injured dodging the old 'Samoan side-step'.

Let's at least wait until the World Cup starts before we lay into the coach!!!

Why? This game is 2 weeks after the grand final.

I presumed that the game is being planned now. Let's say he wanted to play Wigan. He might be politely told, we've got bigger fish to fry mate. If it is a game for paying customers then it will take longer to plan. Notice to the Police for a start etc etc. It won't rule out playing a team in an opposed training session of course.

more than happy to, more critical of this being on at all.

Just send them up Rivington half a dozen times if it's a fitness thing.
If it's who's playing where, exactly what will he learn that he should already know by then?
If it's team-bonding, I refer m'lud to my previous point.

Also, if they've got warm weather training in South Africa, have they scheduled any friendlies down there or is it just a bit of a jolly?

Haha, good points.

New Zealand played Hull FC and Saints before GB in 2002, both teams made the play offs and Saints won the final that year. Could be an alright money-spinner too. I'd definitely go and watch Wigan v England but I don't think I'll be paying to see Italy v England unless it's a fiver a ticket.

England should win quite comfortably but it'll be an interesting fixture with some of the names likely to feature for Italy. I'm all for supporting international RL so I expect I'll attend with it only being 25 minutes up the road.

Be sure to penne this in your diaries

The people who moan won't attend and will moan that not many attended overall. They also won't attend World Cup fixtures yet will moan as soon as any crowds are poor.

They need to get off their ar*es and play their part if not for this fixture then in the World Cup. It's no good people moaning about issues they play a part in causing.

I really don't get people criticising a warm up fixture against a decent Italy side.

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.