Second Row - No. 4 & 5 (The Tall Guys)

The second row is something of a problem position for Italy. In the past Italy have had some great locks with former captain Marco Bortalami and Argentinian born Santiago Dellape forming a great partnership through the 2000s. But since then there has been a drought in home grown talent. Italian rugby has had to rely heavily on foreign imports such as Carlo Del Fava, Joshua Furno, Quentin Geldenhuys and Dean Budd (with the latter two going on to captain the side). It was likely that Italy's starting second row coming into this Six Nations would've been promising talents Federico Ruzza and David Sisi but with both being out injured Franco Smith has something of a conundrum. Old heads Alessandro Zanni and Dean Budd can bring experience into the role while Nicole Cannone would make an exciting young debutant. But I wonder whether there is another option for Smith….. 

Sergio Parisse (Age: 36 Caps: 142 Status: Rugby God)

Of course Parisse is the greatest No. 8 of all time but over the past couple of season I have wondered whether he could've been more effective for Italy as a lock. Parisse will always be remembered for his insane passing ability, his chip kicks and his ability to go through a game seeming to have played every position on the field. But as he has aged he has excelled more as a ball carrier, line-out jumper and general leader. All of these attributes fit well with the mould of a second row. He will know of how his mate Alessandro Zanni saw a transition from Flanker to Second row extend his career as his ability to get around the park diminished. The difference between the two is that Benetton gave Zanni the game time at lock to help with the transition whereas it was unlikely Stade Francais or Toulon would want to invest this time in Parisse to help the Italian national. With his retirement looming, the idea of Parisse at lock fades but with both first choice second rows Federico Ruzza and David Sisi suffering injuries it could be that Parisse's swansong is adorned by a different number to that of which he has made the nation so proud. Wouldn't it be nice to see Parisse and Zanni finish their international careers arm in arm?

Federico Ruzza (Age: 25 Caps: 18)

Federico Ruzza is undoubtedly one of Italy's best prospects and not just in the second row. He is not the chunkiest of locks but makes up for that with his athleticism and technical proficiency. His long reach makes him a good target in the line out and also allows him to throw some ridiculous passes out of the tackle. Now with Benetton, Ruzza initially started his Pro14 career with Zebre where he earned 37 appearances before moving east to Treviso. The move saw a growth in his game and a call up to Conor O'Shea's national side. Ruzza is what Italian rugby has been crying out for and his Man of the Match award against Namibia in the World Cup was just reward for a player making strides for both club and country. Still being young for a lock means he could be a big feature for Italy over the next two World Cup cycles. Unfortunately an injury will likely rule him out for at least the first round of fixtures but expect him to slot straight back into the lineup once fit.

No stranger to an offload

Alessandro Zanni (Age: 35 Caps: 117)

There are probably still a lot of rugby fans outside of Italy who know little about Alessandro Zanni. Often overshadowed by Sergio Parisse, Zanni is kind of player a coach loves. Over his 117 caps for Italy he has become an unsung hero by doing a lot of the unglamorous work while his mate Parisse takes the limelight. His ability to move from flanker to second row with such ease is just another testament to why he is easily one of Italy's greatest ever players. Although not as quick as he used to be his defence around the rucks is excellent and he is adept at holding the attacker up in the tackle. He has also contributed to Italy becoming far more competitive in the line out. Everyone who talks about Zanni talks about his motivation and his work rate both on and off the field. I think that is such an important thing to see for a lot of the young players coming into the squad. After fighting back from so many injuries the tournament will be just as an emotional for Zanni as it is for Parisse.

Zanni's unseen efforts could often see defences forget about him entirely 

Dean Budd (Age: 33 Caps: 26)

Despite joining the national setup late in his career Dean Budd has shown enough leadership to be captain of the national side in Parisse's absence. The Benetton lock brings more of an old school approach to the position. His no frills style focuses on hard running, big tackling and various other forms of collision. Budd had become the first choice lock under Conor O'Shea and served him well. The New Zealander squeezed in all of his 26 caps since June 2017. With the injuries to both Ruzza and Sisi it is likely that Budd will be in the mix for a starting place but a worry is that he has only played 24 minutes for Benetton this season. His clean break try against Canada at the last World Cup put a smile on a lot of faces for someone who has had to wait so long to play international rugby.

Budd happy he put on his small studs against Leinster

David Sisi (Age: 26 Caps: 9)

If Ruzza provides Italy with a nimble sleight second row then David Sisi provides Italy with muscle and strength. The big Zebre lock has already experienced winning the Six Nations twice with the England under-20 team. His time in England saw him play for both London Irish and Bath in the Premiership as well as Yorkshire Carnegie and London Scottish in the Championship. A 2017 move to Parma lead to more playing time along with a call up to the Italian national team. He has provided Italy with yet another big ball carrier who can also play along the back row if needed. It's a shame that Sisi will miss much of the Six Nations through injury as it seemed like he and Ruzza were just beginning to get game time together. At 26 he is still young for a lock and will get plenty more games to add to his 9 cap tally.

Niccolo Cannone (Age: 21 Caps: 0) - 

Niccolo Cannone has been a massive success story this season as a permit player playing with Petrarca Rugby in the Top12 while also flourishing with Benetton in the Pro14. At just 21 Cannone already has the physique for international rugby but after impressing with the under-20 it was thought that his involvement with the national team would come in a few years time. His excellent performances for Benetton have come as a pleasant surprise and he is already putting his hat in the ring for a starting place in Ruzza and Sisi's absence. His stand out game came against the Dragons last season when the young man bagged his first two Pro14 tries in an amazing performance. At such a young age it could be that Cannone features heavily for Italy for at least the next decade.

Cannone being the kid who no-one wants to tackle

Along with the previously mentioned players Italy do have a number of names ready to step into the role if needed. Benetton's Marco Fuser has 31 international caps to his name and at 28-years-old isn't in any way past it. His game time at Benetton has been minimal this season due to the emergence of players like Cannone, Eli Synman and Irne Herbst but gaining some game time over the international window could see him play his way back into the squad. Zebre also offer an experienced backup in 34-year-old George Biagi who having captained Zebre rugby for a long time could be brought in if the side is lacking leadership. There is also a young lock forward at Zebre called Leonardo Krumov who will be looking to impress in the Pro14 while teammates are on international duty. The player with Bulgarian heritage is just 23 and is likely to be on the international selectors radar for the coming years. Another question to ask is whether the abundance in the back row could prompt some players to follow in Zanni and Budd's footsteps by switching to lock. A transition to second row could easily suit Sebastian Negri, Marco Lazzaroni, Giovanni Pettinelli or even Giovanni Licata. With second rows usually peaking at an older age than most positions it may be that we don't see the very best from the likes of Ruzza, Sisi or Cannone for a couple of years.