Saturday sees rugby league’s Origin concept hit Italy when Longobardi take on Leoin Veneti in Piacenza. Kelly Rolleston, coach of Longobardi and Piacenza-based club side XIII del Ducato is relishing the challenge. “This game will give the opportunity to the selected participants from the Seria A RL Championship the chance to demonstrate their value as players and to continue on the path that could bring them a place in the Italian national side in the World Cup qualifiers,” he said.

“It is also an opportunity to test the work and training they have done during the first games of the Championship and in the three national camps held by FIRL since last spring. I had to make many difficult decisions during the selection of the Longobardi side because I had to leave out players who have demonstrated quality and development. But I want to assure them that the door is not closed and for them to continue to work hard and develop, so that next season they too could wear the Origin and Italian national jersey.”

The coach of Leoni Veneti, Tiziano Franchini, expects the game to be evenly matched but also technically of a high standard. “I expect a good performance from the players with particular attention on the fundamentals worked on in the last month within their clubs,” he noted. “It will be very close and physically very hard and the side that concentrates the best will triumph. I don’t want to make a prediction, I just want to see on the field the best that Italian Rugby League has to offer.”

His skipper Matthew Sands added, “I am Venetian and I can’t wait to play this game and to show that we are the strongest side. For me it’s a great honor to wear this jersey with the lion symbol of Venice and the Serenissima Republic. I think that this game is a good chance to start a healthy rivalry especially with a number of my Italian national team mates coming from the North West zone."

ITALIAN STATE OF ORIGIN - LONGOBARDI vs LEONI VENETI
Stadio Beltrametti, Via Egidio Gorra
PIACENZA
Kick Off 18:00

LONGOBARDI
Ciaurro, Robuschi, Cardella, D.Muyodi, E.Muyodi, Rossi, Berzieri, Franchi, Sola, Stead Covati, Barzan, Pavia, Cerri, Ilinca, Cenerini (XIII del Ducato), Carrara, Delhoume, Poumes (XIII del Duomo), Neri (XIII del Ducato), Quitadamo, Monteleone Grotti, Pavoni

LEONI VENETI
Berge, Valenti, Anziliero, Dallera, Fadalti, Prizzon, Nasso, Borlin, Sands, Orfano, Facco, Reffo, Buonuomo (Grifons Pd), Fusaro, Bonfiglio (Mastini RL Tv), Persico, Barbuianni, Zanella, Portaluri,  (Ercole Monselice RL)