4. Michele Lamaro
Italy’s captain wears his heart on his sleeve, every time he represents his country. A fearless tackler, who is also technically astute in the breakdown, Lamaro possess the rare combination of brains and braun. Lamaro’s rugby knowledge and understanding of the contact area sees him rarely loose a battle up-front. These qualities shone in the opener against France, as he chopped down 10 successful tackles, and made 12 dominant ball carries.
A born leader, at just 23-years-old was entrusted to be the heir to Sergio Parisse’s vacated captaincy for Italy. Lamaro co-captains Benetton in the United Rugby Championship, and idolised Richie McCaw growing up. Coincidentally, Lamaro’s Italian captaincy was a baptism of fire against the All Blacks, in which he proudly rose to the occasion.
5. Simone Ferrari
Built like a tank, but with the engine of the sportscar who he shares the name. Simone Ferrari is a powerful prop, who can move around the pitch at unexpected speeds. Another star in the Benetton squad, Ferrari has played his rugby in Treviso since 2015. At 124kg, the prop is an imposing figure in the scrum. With a powerful leg drive and the skills to turn a scrum on it’s head, the likes of Kyle Sinkler and Ellis Genge need to be aware of the incoming 28-year-old.
One of the Six Nations most compact and unmoveable forwards, Ferrari’s presence in the contact zone is instantly recognised. Once he’s over the ball, it’s unlikely that a counter-ruck could shift him. England need to look out for this threat, as Ferrari will be looking to upset the scrum in the early goings at Twickenham.