Why Azzurri owe a debt to Hartpury University
Four members of Italy’s squad taking on Scotland today are graduates of the Gloucestershire talent factory
Wasps and Gloucester were not the only English clubs beaming with pride when England and Italy’ s players took to the field in Rome a fortnight ago.
For Hartpury University RFC there were six former players involved – Jonny May, Ellis Genge, Dan Robson and debutant Jonny Hill for England, and the two powerhouses of Italy’s back row, Sebastian Negri and Jake Polledri.
Hartpury has become an unlikely feeding ground for the Azzurri in recent years, with Negri and Polledri joined in Franco Smith’s latest squad by two scrum-halves, Callum Braley and Stephen Varney, who also formerly ran out for the Gloucestershire-based side. Hartpury have now settled in the RFU Championship, after winning National League One four years ago.
“I wanted England to win, but with outstanding performances for Italy from Jake and Seb, and I feel they did that,” Mark Cornwell, the Hartpury University RFC head coach, said. “They got under England’s skin, caused all sorts of problems and England only really got away in the second half. We rang the boys to wish them well.”
Given the presence of f our alumni in the current Italy squad, you could understand if Hartpury’s crop of players ers are busy researching family trees and checking passport application forms.
“They think nk qualifying for Italy is done by ordering rdering a Domino’s!” Cornwell laughed. ughed. “A lot of youngsters now come me through and check their pathways. ays. We back them in all of those hose decisions because we want them to play at the highest level. It ’s fantastic ic for them and for the college.” ollege.”
Each of the he quartet who has qualified ualified for Italy has followed ollowed a unique path. th. Negri, born in Zimbabwe, i mbabwe, qualified through hrough his father and arrived at Hartpury in 2014 to take up a sports business management degree. gree. He has since won 27 caps for Italy.
“Seb developed eloped year on year and will go down at Hartpury as one of the legends,” egends,” Cornwell said. “He captained ptained the university side. I spoke oke to him before the England d game. He has gone way beyond eyond where I thought he was going to get to, but he e has proved a lot of people le wrong.”
Braley is arguably the most interesting eresting story, a student dent at Hartpury inn aside featuring Wales back row Ross Moriarty and Billy Burns (who made his Ireland debut last night), before joining Bristol and then Gloucester. Braley only opted to declare for Italy a couple of years ago, having previously captained England Under-20s to the 2014 Junior World Championship title, swapping life in Gloucester for Treviso this summer.
“Callum was at Hartpury a long time ago, we are talking 10 years. It was a case of, if Italy came knocking, then at that stage of his career why wouldn’t you go down that route and try to get those Test caps? He is a great kid, a fantastic professional on and off the pitch.”
Hopes, meanwhile, are high for Varney, 19, who made his Premiership debut over the summer for Gloucester and was rapidly called up by Italy. Yet to be capped, Carmarthen-born Varney qualifies for Italy through his mother.
“He has all the makings to do well in the game,” Cornwell said. “I think he scored three of four tries in as many games for Gloucester and has hit the ground running in the Premiership. He has huge potential.”
The jewel in the crown, however, is Polledri, Gloucester’s thundering ball-carrier who qualifies for Italy through his grandmother. Now one of the world’s leading No 8s, and a worthy successor to Sergio Parisse, when Polledri arrived at Hartpury from Bristol he was “lost”, according to Cornwell, who wonders what might have been had Polledri declared for England.
“I wished him the best of luck before the England game and then he goes and scores th that try. Only Jake could score that try, with his pace and power. He has a big future,” Cornwell said said.
“Bristol didn’t rea really see anything in him and I’m not blaming Bristol for that, i th happens. Different players fl our ishf lo in different envinvir on ments. When he cam came to us, he accelerated h his development over a two-year period to b become one of the most mo dynamic and dang dangerous players on th the international scen scene.
“Jake is a different beast. He h has worked on his game game, his breakdown work is international standard, whereas he was way off that w when he left us. His tackling is e exceptional now.
“He was never an an animal in the gym or the strongest, bu but what Jake can do on the pitch, t transferring that power and dynamism dynam into his carrying game, is seco second to none. He was a great lad to coach. co He will go down as one of the all all-time greats at the college.”
Perhaps Polledri w will also go down as a world-class player England let slip through th the net. As for Italy, their connection with Hartpury is thriving.