The center of Begton Treviso and the Italian rugby team Ignacio Brex were the guests of Rugby 2U. With him we talked to the Venetians about the Rainbow Cup we see above, the future prospects for the green-whites, the national team and the arrival of Kieran Crowley on the blue bench. Here are his words.

Nacho is Bennett’s special season. You didn’t even get a win in Pro14, you lost to Montpellier in the Challenge Cup and reached the semifinals, and now you start with three wins in the Rainbow Cup. What has changed in the past?

“As you say, it was a bit difficult at the start of the season, Pro 14 did not go as we expected and wanted, so I think it’s like a change in team attitude. After the tournament we said “OK, now it’s gone, let’s fix ourselves on the next goal”. The first was the Cup, which unfortunately we could not win, and now it was Rainbow that we started with three wins. Obviously this still means nothing, but we know we are on the right track. The attitude of the team needs to be well understood, but it is important that the availability of more players today has also made a difference. ”

You will face Connach on Saturday, and a win is essential to maintain the lead and aim for the tournament. Do you know Irish well, what are the biggest dangers, and where do you work best to succeed?

“We know they are a team that puts a lot of pressure on the defense, they use the crowd defense and we know they need to win in the physical fight. They have a good structure in attack but they play everything physically, but getting in touch is essential. What we need to improve is to play well until the 80th minute, which is not what we do with zebras ”.

The last two seasons have been complicated and especially because of the pandemic. We now hope to return to normal from next year. Treviso will change a lot. How do you see the team ahead of next season?

“I see the team well. There will be a lot of new players, but with a good combo with experienced players I think they will remain a very young and positive group. Then there will be new coaches giving a new impetus. But I’m definitely very positive about the future. “

Marco Bortolami will be the new coach and you already know him well because he is already on Crowley’s staff. Andrea Masi arrives for the trocar. Have you already had the opportunity to talk to him about what he expects or is it something to think about at the end of this season?

“I had a few discussions with Andrea personally, but not as a team, and we still haven’t talked about what he will do next year. We know Marco very well and we know it will definitely be tough training sessions and something will change. But now he’s doing his part, working with Keeran and thinking about this season. Of course, when it’s over, they will talk to us about what they expect from us next year. ”

Speaking of coaches, you are well aware of Kieran Crowley, who has been announced as the new coach of Italy leaving Treviso. Crowley is a man of few words, still unknown to most. What type is this, and what do you think can be expected from the arrival of Italy?

“As a person, as you said, he is a man who does not have many words, but they are always the right words at the right time. He is a very active person, he controls the group very much and he likes that the group is doing well. I hope he does a lot of work and brings his experience to the national team, as he has done recently with Treviso. The game with Crowley is very diverse. He is very focused on defense, he is very focused on defense, but he is also a coach who loves to play, he’s not always the one who always focuses on kicking or playing only on the skrum, he’s also someone who likes to watch the ball play in his hand. If there are opportunities to attack, we will attack. “

You made your debut this year with Italy in six countries. What was your impression of joining this group, and can you answer for yourself what the Azure needs to find those long-lost successes?

“I joined a group that I really liked, very young and very energetic. I think this is the best thing to start with, and then we need to be able to stand together as much as we can, because we need to stand together because the virtues and the human team really exist, and we need to work harder. We have suffered physically in these six countries, and if you fail in physical struggle, it will be difficult to win, in which case we will have to work hard. ”

In Argentina you not only wore the jerseys of junior national teams and Jaguars, but also participated in several stages of the World Series Rugby Sevens. Your debut in blue was in seven years of rugby. How useful do you think the high level experience of Seven is in the growth of a rugby player in XV?

“Honestly, I’m convinced this is important. He taught me a lot, Seven works you a lot in all abilities, attacks and perspectives of the game. Seven is definitely about betting on improving players “.

For those who follow rugby a little, and never play, you can explain what the difference is between the first and second center, i.e. the difference between those wearing 12 and 13 jerseys, they seem to have the same roles, but what changes do you need to play 12 or 13?

“It depends on the style of play of the team. You can have a 12 ball carrier that brings the ball forward and gives you the lead, or you can use it as a double point guard. Personally I believe 12 is more of a physical player than 13 and the second center is a more ambiguous and faster player. So, even if you are 12 or 13, you must have important physical qualities ”.

Photo: Ettore Griffoni – LPS