Italy: Ignacio Brex reveals ‘deliberate’ ploy to combat ‘constraints’ ahead of the Azzurri’s ‘favourable’ Six Nations
James While sat down with Juan Ignacio Brex to preview Italy's Six Nations campaign.
Anyone who has been watching Italian rugby recently, whether it be in Europe or in the Test arena, cannot help but be impressed with the brilliant centre partnership of Benetton’s Ignacio Brex and Tommaso Menoncello.
After both men delivered huge performances in the match against Bristol Bears, littered with controversial referee calls that might have gone either way, Benetton finally ensured qualification for the Round of 16 beating the mighty La Rochelle, before Brex and his partner changed their focus towards the Six Nations, where they’ll continue their creative partnership.
Numbers Game
James While caught up with one half of the pairing- Italy’s charismatic vice-captain, Nacho Brex, as he spends time in the Azzurri Training Camp, to discuss what success looks like for the national team this year and what to expect from the dazzling midfield partnership that’s powered the resurgence of both club and country.
“I think the first thing to say is we are so lucky we play together,” Brex exclusively told Planet Rugby.
“It’s a partnership where we complement each other; I try to be direct and physical, Tommy brings the real gas and now we work together at Benetton, we’re able to Test and try so many different ideas and combinations out at club level, which can be extended on the Test arena.
“You might notice that for Italy, I wear 13 and Tommy 12, but for Benetton, it’s the other way around. This is, in fact, done deliberately to confuse the commentators!” Brex quipped.
“Joking aside, we do it because it underlines how much we move around in midfield and how we interchange for different plays. We don’t want to be constrained as a ‘12’ or a ‘13’ as modern rugby requires flexibility in both attack and defence. So by changing our shirt numbers our message to ourselves is we’re not constrained by the convention of the perceived position.”
Sad for Sione
Brex is, what rugby circles term, a serious unit. Standing 6’3” and weighing some 100kg, the centre is the size of many modern backrowers and it’s no surprise that he leads the defence of the Azzurri backline.
With Scotland first up on the road at Murrayfield, the Italian is eagerly anticipating facing the invention of the Finn Russell-designed backline but expresses a tinge of sadness about the fortunes of one of his most feared opponents.
Brex noted: “I have to say, I am very sad for Sione Tuipulotu and that he’ll be missing when we face the Scots in Round One. His partnership with Huw Jones is one I respect hugely- one of the best in international rugby- you want to Test yourself against players of that quality and we always have a hell of a battle whether for club or country.
“I would like to go on record and wish Sione the best in his recovery and I’m sorry we won’t meet in battle this time as he is both a great player and person; someone who challenges you to be the best you can be against him.
“But that doesn’t reduce the threat of the Scots. They’re a fast and creative side that loves changing the point of attack. It will be a massive ask for us to go there and get a result, but I believe we are making progress every time we play together.”
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Campaign Goals
“We have a favourable schedule- three at home and two on the road, with both France and Ireland coming to Rome. Those sides are rightly the tournament favourites and I know how hard it will be to turn them over, even with home advantage.
“France are truly world-class and possibly have a higher performance ceiling, but Ireland are more consistent. Both are immensely physical, with Ireland more structured in playing off 3 and 4-man pods off nine.
“France are so unpredictable; you can never underestimate the importance of club partnerships at Test level and the French axis of Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack and Thomas Ramos is one that is creatively brilliant, especially in transition moments. Factor in the Bordeaux players- Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud and they have X Factor galore, despite the long-term injuries of the brilliant Charles Ollivon and Gael Fickou.
“Ireland also have those club combos- but with a different and more structured style as they run phase waves off their halfbacks, with their back rows as key links. Ireland are probably more willing to grind you down, with their loose forwards hammering you to create that quick ruck speed. Different style, but equally as threatening as Les Bleus. Ireland’s footwork pre-contact and their consistent shape in attack are their key superpowers and defending against them is as much about mental concentration as it is physicality. They keep asking questions, relentlessly,” Brex admired.
“England are similar to South Africa in style; attritional, great aerial game, power-led and prepared to batter you into submission. We face them in Round Four, but they have Ireland, France and Scotland before us, and we might benefit from the pressure those sides place England under.
“Wales obviously are in transition; their loss run is awful for them and they’ll be stung by criticisms of their style. But they’ve had poor luck with injury so I expect to see a really positive reaction from their players, knowing the great pride they have,” explained the Benetton man.
Internal Focus
“Going back to that club combination piece, I think we have 16 from Benetton and nine from Zebre in our squad. We then have the guys from Top 14 and Premiership to come in. Now, whilst we benefit from that club concept, we also get great input from the guys playing overseas.
“Ange Capuozzo brings his Toulouse knowledge to the squad- and his form right now is sensational as we saw against Leicester Tigers. For him to bring the intellect he gains playing with Dupont, Ntamack, Flament, Cros and Ramos regularly is great for us and we benefit from Ange’s experiences. Same goes for players like Ross Vintcent, another guy in great personal form, who really brings pace to our back-row,” enthused Brex.
“Success in this tournament for Italy is a tough question; I don’t see this in terms of results, although we do have an expectation. What I see it in is improvement in every measurable facet of each game- the micro battles, the objective measures. From that, we measure how we feel about ourselves- are we hitting our own standard and so on?
“For sure, 2 from 5 or even 3 from 5 would be amazing, but given the closeness of Six Nations games, it has to be about those improvement metrics for me.
“And of course, confusing the commentators- that’s a given!”
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