ROME (AP) — Tommaso Allan's comeback was confirmed when he was picked by Italy to play against Argentina in their autumn rugby opener this weekend in Udine.
Allan stepped away from test rugby after the first game of the Six Nations in February, the 27-24 loss to England in Rome. Italy's record scorer in Rugby World Cups was tired and granted a break to focus on his club and family.
In the 80-cap fullback's absence, Italy enjoyed its best Six Nations, beating Scotland and Wales and drawing with France.
“I followed them on TV,” Allan said. "On the one hand it was difficult to watch them from a distance, on the other I rejoiced for the results they achieved. For me and my family this choice has done a lot of good. I also think my way of playing rugby has benefited. I focused on helping (Perpignan) stay in the Top 14.”
Refreshed, he called coach Gonzalo Quesada in September to make himself available.
“For me (returning to Italy) it's like the first day of school,” Allan said.
Italy has made four changes for Saturday's test from its last outing, a 42-14 win over Japan in Sapporo in July.
Wing Monty Ioane was back, on a three-test try-scoring run. Flanker Sebastian Negri and lock Federico Ruzza replaced the unavailable Ross Vintcent and Andrea Zambonin, and hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi has rotated in.
Beside Allan, the reserves also feature the return of Harlequins lock Dino Lamb, who last appeared at the World Cup a year ago.
Italy has not beaten Argentina since 2008, and not at home since 1998.
Argentina made six changes after losing the Rugby Championship decider to South Africa 48-7 in September.
Veteran forwards Francisco Gomez Kodela and Matias Alemanno were also recalled as reserves. The 39-year-old tighthead prop Gomez Kodela hasn't played for the Pumas since the World Cup a year ago. The lock Alemanno missed the Rugby Championship.
The Pumas have brought in Miami midfielder Matias Orlando, Clermont wing Bautista Delguy, and clubless scrumhalf Gonzalo Bertranou, and promoted lock Franco Molina, center Lucio Cinti and fullback Juan Cruz Mallia off the bench from the loss in Mbombela.
They are touring without the injured Marcos Kremer (knee), Tomas Lavanini (ankle), Santiago Carreras (calf) and Santiago Chocobares. Also, former captain Pablo Matera was suspended from the match but has not travelled with the group.
Molina replacing Lavanini was the only change to the pack.
Mallia at fullback is expected to also cover flyhalf Tomas Albornoz.
Gomez Kodela played all seven matches at the World Cup in France and has powered on this season for Stade Francais.
"He never told us he was going to step aside,” coach Felipe Contepomi said on Thursday. "Any Argentine with a valid passport and in active service is eligible.
“In June we talked about looking at the short, medium and long term. Having Frankie may be a short term, but we think it's the best thing for the team and to develop the game we want.”
The Pumas will also play Ireland and France but chose not to pick any of their four uncapped players, though one-cap Vannes flanker Bautista Pedemonte was on the bench.
Argentina last played Italy in 2021, winning 37-16 in Treviso.
Lineups:
Italy: Ange Capuozzo, Louis Lynagh, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane, Paolo Garbisi, Martin Page-Relo; Lorenzo Cannone, Michele Lamaro (captain), Sebastian Negri, Federico Ruzza, Niccolo Cannone, Marco Riccioni, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Mirco Spagnolo. Reserves: Giacomo Nicotera, Danilo Fischetti, Simone Ferrari, Dino Lamb, Manuel Zuliani, Alessandro Garbisi, Tommaso Allan, Marco Zanon.
Argentina: Juan Cruz Mallia, Rodrigo Isgro, Lucio Cinti, Matias Orlando, Bautista Delguy, Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Bertranou; Joaquin Oviedo, Santiago Grondona, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Pedro Rubiolo, Franco Molina, Joel Sclavi, Julian Montoya (captain), Thomas Gallo. Reserves: Ignacio Ruiz, Ignacio Calles, Francisco Gomez Kodela, Matias Alemanno, Bautista Pedemonte, Gonzalo Garcia, Matias Moroni, Santiago Cordero.
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
FILE - Italy's Tommaso Allan kicks a conversion during the Rugby World Cup Pool A match between France and Italy at the OL Stadium in Lyon, France, Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The person inside the Tesla Cybertruck that burst into flames outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel suffered a gunshot to the head before the explosion, officials said Thursday.
Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a news conference that a handgun was found at the feet of the man who's been identified as Matthew Livelsberger. Officials believe the shot was self-inflicted.
Livelsberger served in the Green Berets, highly trained special forces who work to counter terrorism abroad and train partners, the Army said in a statement. He had served in the Army since 2006, rising through the ranks with a long career of overseas assignments, deploying twice to Afghanistan and serving in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia and Congo, the Army said.
He was awarded two Bronze Stars, including one with a valor device for courage under fire, a combat infantry badge and an Army Commendation Medal with valor. Livelsberger was on approved leave when he died, according to the statement.
The FBI said Thursday in a post on X that it was “conducting law enforcement activity” at a home in Colorado Springs related to Wednesday's explosion but provided no other details.
The explosion of the truck, packed with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters, came hours after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people before being shot to death by police. That crash was being investigated as a terrorist attack. The FBI said Thursday that they believe Jabbar acted alone, reversing its position from a day earlier that he likely worked with others.
Both Livelsberger and Jabbar spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, a massive Army base in North Carolina that is home to multiple Army special operations units. However, one of the officials who spoke to the AP said there is no overlap in their assignments at the base, now called Fort Liberty.
Chris Raia, FBI deputy assistant director, said Thursday that officials have found ‘no definitive link’ between the New Orleans attack and the truck explosion in Las Vegas.
Seven people nearby suffered minor injuries when the Tesla truck exploded. Video showed a tumble of charred fireworks mortars, canisters and other explosive devices crowded into the back of the pickup. The truck bed walls were still intact because the blast shot straight up rather than to the sides.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday afternoon on X that “we have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself."
"All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion,” Musk wrote.
Musk has recently become a member of Trump’s inner circle. Neither Trump nor Musk was in Las Vegas early Wednesday. Both had attended Trump’s New Year’s Eve party at his South Florida estate.
Authorities know who rented the truck with the Turo app in Colorado, Kevin McMahill, the elected sheriff of Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, said Wednesday. He did not release the person’s ID, however.
Copp, Richer and Long contributed from Washington.
Investigators enter a townhouse in northeastern Colorado Springs, Colo., Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, as the investigation connected to the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel continues. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette via AP)
Investigators stand outside a townhouse complex in northeastern Colorado Springs, Colo., Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, as the investigation connected to the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel continues. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette via AP)
Police block the area after a vehicle caught fire and exploded outside the lobby of President-elect Donald Trump's hotel Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
Police block the area after a vehicle caught fire and exploded outside the lobby of President-elect Donald Trump's hotel Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
Police block the area after a vehicle caught fire and exploded outside the lobby of President-elect Donald Trump's hotel Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
Police block the area after a vehicle caught fire and exploded outside the lobby of President-elect Donald Trump's hotel Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
