Venditti to miss Six Nations opener

Editor

Italy wing Giovanbattista Venditti is expected to miss the Azzurri's first two matches in this year's Six Nations.

Italy wing Giovanbattista Venditti is expected to miss the Azzurri's first two matches in this year's Six Nations with an ankle injury.

Vendetti will miss out due to a high right ankle sprain sustained last weekend that will keep him sidelined for a month.

The 23-year-old was hurt in Zebre's 14-12 win over Treviso, their first ever home win in the RaboDirect Pro12.

Medical exams by the club revealed that Venditti will not require surgery, but Zebre said on Wednesday that he will miss Italy's visit to Wales on February 1 and the home test against France on February 9.

Venditti has three tries in 19 tests since his debut in the 2012 Six Nations.