Wings - No. 11 & 14 (The Glorious Ones)

In recent times Italy have struggled to create a real world class winger. Since Italy's record try scorer Marcello Cuttitta retired (in 1999) no winger has been produced that came close to breaking his record (25 tries). Mirco Bergamasco was used well on the wing under Nick Mallett but I always preferred him as a feisty centre, always looking to getting involved and ruffle a few feathers. There was Kiwi speedster Kaine Robertson who scored some great tries for the national team, his solo kick chase versus Wales in 2007 still remains a delight to watch. Then there was cult hero Giovanbattista Venditti who was the kind of winger who found it easier to run through their opposite number than around them. With the size and stature of a back row forward Venditti was one of my favourite players of modern times. He was always a threat going forward, able to lend his weight to the forwards while also providing a key outlet during set piece moves. His performance during Italy's memorable win over South Africa will live long in the memory of all Italian rugby fans. 

But what have Italy got to offer in terms of wingers these days? The position had become muddled under O'Shea's reign with lots of different players used out of position. We have seen O'Shea use Campagnaro (preferred position - Centre), Minozzi (preferred position - fullback), Padovani (preferred position - fullback), Besegni (preferred position - Centre), Benvenuti (preferred position - Centre), Sperandio (preferred position - fullback) and even Palazzani (preferred position - scrum half). This seems to suggest that the Wing is a problem position for Italy but I argue that this may have been more of a tactical choice by O'Shea rather than due to a lack of out and out wingers. In this section I will discuss some of the options Italy have in terms of players whose preferred position is on the wing.

Mattia Bellini (Age: 25 Caps: 22) 

Firstly I wanted to mention Zebre winger Mattia Bellini. I think it was a criminal mistake to leave Bellini not only out of the starting lineup against South Africa but also the bench. Bellini has been a try scoring machine for Zebre and his form for Italy has been decent. He reminds me a lot of a friend who I played with at school, although he is not the fastest player his height and high knee style of running makes him an unattractive prospect to tackle. This often leads to him receiving tackles at chest height where he can use his long reach to fend off the defender. At 25, with 22 caps and a world cup under his belt I think Bellini should be given a chance to stamp his authority as first choice winger in the upcoming Six Nations Championship.

Leonardo Sarto (Age: 28 Caps 34) 

To the North East of Bellini there is a Benneton Treviso team that have ample depth on the wing. Currently their first choice wings are Monty Ioane and Illiesa Ratuva Tavuyara who have been in fine form both last season and so far this season. The pair perfectly represent the threatening style of attacking play that Kieran Crowley has so successfully engrained at the club. But beneath these two are two Italian wingers trying to find a path back into the national setup. I briefly mentioned Leonardo Sarto's story in my last post on fullbacks but after his time playing at Glasgow and then Leicester he has returned to Italy with Benetton. Since overcoming his injuries and getting increased game time, Sarto looks to be returning to his best form. During his time at Zebre, at the beginning of his time at Glasgow and for decent amount of his international career Sarto has looked like a class winger. His tall stature and direct running style makes him an imposing player to play against. While not being back to his best, I would love to see him and Bellini on opposite wings. Their height, strength and ability to run through opponents would give Italy's creative fly-halves (Tommaso Allan/ Carlo Canna) new options on set pieces, along with the option of a cross-field kick. Time and time again in the Pro14 I have seen Canna split apart much better opposition with Zebre by performing a delayed inside pass to Bellini or another winger who has drifted off his wing. It would be great to see this develop in the national side where wingers often seem afraid to leave their wing unattended due to the threat of a more accomplished opposition.

Angelo Esposito (Age: 26 Caps: 21)

Also among the Benetton setup, but not picked for the initial Six Nations squad, is Angelo Esposito. Esposito provides a different style of winger being a stocky but lightening quick player. He is the kind of guy you want with space in front of him, once he gets to top speed he is able to use his frame to bounce of any potential tacklers. He has been in and out of the national setup for some time with his first cap coming back in 2014. A good run of form during 2017/18 saw him finally established as a winger Italy could rely on but unfortunately in 2018 an ACL tear saw him ruled out for the rest of season. Although now fully recovered Esposito missed out on the World Cup and will have his sights on getting some regular game time with Benetton. At the age of 26 there is still plenty of time for him to return to the national setup and secure his place on the wing, but with such a lot of competition for places at Benetton it will be hard.

Monty Ioane (Age: 25 Caps: 0 Nationality: soon-to-be Italian)

Besides these previous three wingers and the various utility backs mentioned at the start of this post there are very little options in terms of the national team. That is until December 2020 when everything will change for Italian rugby. This may sound like an overstatement when it is in regard to just one player but in my opinion this could be seismic. December 2020 is the month that Monty Ioane gains residency and will be eligible to play for the Italian national team. Anyone who has any interest in the Pro14, let alone an interest in Benetton, will know about the impact Ioane has had on the team. After a disappointing spell at Stade Francais, the nephew of Australian great Digby Ioane, returned to Australia with no intention of returning to Europe. Somehow Crowley and club sponsor Cofiloc were able to persuade Ioane to return to Europe with Benetton where he has flourished. 16 tries in 37 appearances has far surpassed any expectation Benetton fans had of the player and he is now widely regarded as one of the most exciting players in the league. He is the type of player that fans come to watch. Every time he gets the ball he looks like he will do something special. Time or space never seems to be a problem for Ioane who looks like he has been wriggling out of tackles and reaching for touch downs in the corner for his whole life. His confidence and drive to take the game to the opposition whoever they are has been missing from the Italian team for such a long time. I get the sense that Ioane could be faced with any winger in the world and would still feel confident in beating him. Players like this install confidence in the players around them, you only have to look at what Parisse did for the national team, single handily carrying teams through matches. It is so exciting to think that Ioane will soon be in the Italy shirt with a point to prove on the world stage.

In terms of the future - their is a young lad called Jacopo Trulla currently scoring for fun for the under-20 team. 6 tries in 9 appearances have got Italian fans wondering if they have a gem on the horizon. It may not be that Italy know their starters on the wing for this Six Nations. But if Italian fans get the christmas present of Monty Ioane this year then it could be a very exciting 2021.