Crowley still hoping Odogwu will play for Italy
Italy head coach Kieran Crowley hasn't yet conceded defeat in his bid to try and get Paolo Odogwu on board ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
Odogwu qualifies for Italy through his father and Crowley has kept the lines of communication open with the powerful 25-year-old wing/centre following his recent move to Stade Francais.
Eddie Jones has previously called up Odogwu to England training camps and he was selected for the 2021 Six Nations squad, but the former Wasps and Sale player is still uncapped, leaving the door open for the improving Azzurri.
“He's gone off to France and I have kept in contact and talked to him,” confirmed Crowley. “Before his club (Wasps) went into receivership, he still had aspirations of playing for England.
“We are keeping in touch with all those guys who are eligible but I can understand when you are born in a country, your first allegiance is to them so we will see what happens.”
Odogwu was signed by Stade Francais at the end of October as a medical joker for the injured Sefa Naivalu.
The Coventry-born player has yet to make his Top 14 debut for the Parisian giants but has been registered for their European Challenge Cup campaign, which ironically began on Friday with a victory against Italian opponents, Benetton Rugby.
