Italy’s Six Nations hopes have received a boost with the debut of Louis Lynagh, son of Australian legend Michael Lynagh. The 23-year-old winger, who plays for English club Harlequins, has been called up to face title-chasing Scotland on Saturday.
Lynagh’s inclusion is a testament to the Italian federation’s efforts to attract players with Italian heritage. Born in Treviso, where his father played in the early 1990s, Lynagh has been overlooked by England and has now pledged his allegiance to Italy.
Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada believes Lynagh has the potential to make a significant impact. “We saw some very interesting things in him,” Quesada said. “He’s here because of the great work done by the Italian federation.”
Lynagh will have a tough task marking Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe, who scored a hat-trick against England two weeks ago. However, Quesada is confident that Italy can put pressure on Scotland and limit their options.
“Our aim will be to put on them the most pressure possible to limit the time they have to choose and their options,” Quesada said. “That’s the only way to stop them from turning on the motor and accelerating.”
Italy is winless in the Six Nations but drew against France in their last outing. They will be hoping to build on that performance and secure a historic victory over Scotland, a team they have beaten more than any other in the tournament.
Scotland, meanwhile, is unbeaten and is Ireland’s closest title rival. They will be looking to secure a bonus point in Rome to boost their chances of winning the championship.
