Scrum-Half - No. 9 (The Tiny Passers)

Three names come to mind when you think of Italian scrum-halves. Firstly Alessandro Troncon who didn't have the looks or charm of fellow legend Diego Dominguez but was just as influential during Italy's best years as a rugby nation. These days a scrum-half like Troncon is rare. He wasn't the fastest or the best passer of the ball but his leadership and desire to win flowed down through the rest of the team. His tenacity often saw him scrapping in rucks and mauls like a forward and his efforts contributed to the Italian forward pack of the 2000's being one of the most feared in international rugby. Secondly there is Eduardo Gori who's international career was impeded by constantly changing partners at fly half. Over his 69 caps for Italy he played with nearly 10 different fly-half partners and never had the time to fully settle with any of them. I will remember Gori as a player who could've achieved so much more with a better national team around him. He is still playing rugby in the French second division with US Colomiers but is long past his international career. The third is Mauro Bergamasco who's 40 minutes of rugby at scrum-half has become legendary for all the wrong reasons. Think back to that fateful day (I know it's painful) when Italy's greatest ever flanker was forced to endure a living nightmare when playing against England in 2009. To be fair to Nick Mallett his options at scrum-half had become strained due to injuries and the thought that Bergamasco could emulate Mike Phillips as a threatening, ball carrying scrum-half was an attractive prospect. But what an embarrassment that day was for Italian rugby and what a shame it is that Bergamasco stellar career will mostly be remembered for that day. 

The 2019 World Cup showed that the position of scrum-half is more important than ever. Box kicking is now one of the most important elements of the game and if you're scrum-half isn't competent at it then you aren't going to get far. South Africa had the best scrum-half in Faf de Klerk and this was a large factor contributing to them winning the tournament. If Italy are to succeed they will have to resign players like Troncon, who relied on desire over technique, to the history books and look forward to a more modern mould of scrum-half. The current crop provide Italy with more depth than the Azzurri have had in a long time and the raw talent is there as well. I wouldn't say it is the strongest position for Italy but at least it means the flankers can stay on the flank.

Marcello Violi (Age: 26 Caps: 14)

Being the first Italian scrum-half to make it all the way from the national academy to the national team brings with it a lot of expectation. Marcello Violi has long been seen as the scrum-half who could hold the position for the long term but unfortunately injuries have seen his appearances for the national team limited to just 14 caps since his debut in 2015. The latest of these injuries was to his shoulder all the way back in October 2018 which required three separate visits to the surgeon for treatment. His recovery wasn't fast enough to make it to the 2019 World Cup but Violi is back performing for Zebre and will be pushing hard for a starting place against Wales. It is no coincidence that Violi's return this year has coincided with an upturn in performances for Zebre. Violi is pacey, provides a viable place kicking option if needed and above all is a really good passer of the ball. Unlike some of Italy's previous scrum-halves you can tell that Violi has been playing rugby from an early age and as a result of this he has a fine tuned technique for passing and kicking. Over his 5 years with Zebre he has formed a special understanding with half-back partner Carlo Canna but they have only started 3 games together for the national team. What will be interesting over this tournament is how Franco Smith picks his half-back pairing. Will he choose the pairing on individual form (in my opinion Violi and Tommaso Allan) or will he look to pick a half-back pairing that compliment each other (Zebre teammates Violi & Canna or English speaking pair Callum Braley & Allan). The competition between him and Braley for a starting spot is a good thing for Italian rugby. The competition will provide both with an added motivation which has often been missing from Italian players. In the past certain players have been guaranteed a place in the starting line up due to a lack of depth but this is no longer the case and each player now knows that there is a queue forming behind him, waiting for a chance to impress.

Callum Braley (Age: 25 Caps: 5) 

Callum Braley is a relatively new addition to the Italian squad with only 5 caps but he has a rich history with rugby. English-born Braley was part of the under-20 England squad that won the 2013 Junior World Championship and he went on to captain the side when they won the same competition in 2014. There have been plenty of positives from his performances so far, especially his relationship with Tommaso Allan. Braley plays with a real pace that accommodates Allan's attacking play. Despite not having a full grasp of the language yet I am sure there will be plenty of teammates able to help him out (Budd, Sisi, Negri, Meyer, Tuavati, Steyn, Allan, Hayward, etc) and the fact that his Gloucester teammate Jake Polledri is already settled in the squad will help. Despite having undeniable talent, Braley has seen little playing time for his club due to the in-form Willi Heinz and Joe Simpson. This has led to strong rumours of Benetton trying to sign Braley which would certainly help his ambitions with the Italian team. With Violi (26) and Braley (25) they have two scrum-halves who can hold down the position over the next 4 year cycle.

Braley starting and finishing a lovely Gloucester try

Tito Tebaldi (Age: 32 Caps: 36) 

Tebaldi has had a long career with Italy since being brought in by Nick Mallett after the Bergamasco fiasco in 2009. It surprised me to learn that Tebaldi actually made his debut for Italy before long time national scrum-half Eduardo Gori. This may be due to Tebaldi having a 3 year hiatus from international rugby while playing away from Italy with Ospreys and then Harlequins. His 2016 return to Italy (with Benetton) saw a return to the international setup and he has remained there ever since. Despite still possessing good pace for a 32-year-old it looks like he is unlikely to feature under Smith. Tebaldi didn't make Smith's 36 man training camp in Calviasano (although this was a very informal training camp) and hasn't been selected for the initial 35 man squad for the Six Nations (may have been due to the recent birth of his little baby). But as you can see from his highlights of recent years (below), Tebaldi still has a lot to give if called upon.

Tebaldi impressing in recent years for both Italy and Benetton

Guglielmo Palazzani (Age: 28 Caps: 36) 

Someone who did make Franco Smith's initial squad is Zebre mainstay Guglielmo Palazzani. Although he has never been first choice for Italy, Palazzani has been playing for the national side since his debut in 2014, sometimes used on the wing. He was also sometimes brought off the bench as a second scrum-half to increase the tempo of play, a tactic I have rarely seen from other teams. He could situate himself on the wing and then drop into scrum-half when the ball was on his side of the pitch allowing quicker ball to the backs. Despite what his small stocky physique suggests he has a quick turn of pace and is useful running off the back of scrums and rucks. With over 100 appearances for Zebre, experience captaining his club and having a few years ahead of him at 28, it could be that Palazzani plays an important role with Italy in the short term. 

Benetton currently have a wealth of scrum-halves on their books. Behind South African Dewalt Devunage in the pecking order is Tebaldi then new signing Charly Trussardi (recently acquired from Clermont). As well as these three Benetton also have a permit player Luca Petrozzi from Top12 club San Dona. I was really impressed with Petrozzi during the opening rounds of the Pro14 when Tebaldi was still at the world cup. He had a flair about him that I always thought the Italian team would thrive on. With Devanage still performing well and talk of Callum Brarley moving from Gloucester it is possible Benetton could have 5 scrum-half options to choose from next season. This leaves little room in the Benetton team for any more scrum-halves and with New Zealander Joshua Renton playing well for Zebre alongside Violi and Palazzani, it may be the case that the Italian Pro14 teams have no more room for any young players. At least Mauro Bergamasco can sleep easy once again knowing that the No. 9 shirt will be filled by a No. 9.