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'His physique makes you hesitate rather than confident of taking him on'
England may have the mercurial talents of Marcus Smith, but Italy possesses their own brilliant outside half in Paolo Garbisi who is also destined to be a rugby superstar.
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That is the verdict of former All Black Bruce Reihana, the ex-Northampton captain, who is skills coach at rejuvenated Montpellier, where Garbisi has eclipsed Springbok World Cup winner Handre Pollard to grab the No10 jersey.
Despite Italy’s dreadful record of 33 successive Six Nations defeats, Reihana believes 21-year-old Garbisi has the talent and physique to cause England real problems in Rome.
Garbisi, 6ft and 14st 7lbs, carries a major threat with his goal kicking which has taken him to fourth place in the Top 14 leading scorers with 121 points in his debut season in France with Montpellier currently on an eight-game unbeaten run.
Reihana said: “Paolo and Marcus Smith will be a great battle at No10 and it will be really fascinating to see how they go. Paolo has the potential to be a big star and what I enjoy about Paolo is that he is really coachable and understands what it takes to be good and is hungry.
“Paolo can make things difficult for England and if Italy ensure the 12 and 13 have his back then you will see his true talent by giving him a freedom to be a threat.
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“I am sure England will have talked about trying to put pressure on him, but when you see someone with his physique it makes you hesitate rather than confident of taking them on. He takes everything on board and his work ethic is phenomenal which makes him so good at this age but he has so much more to develop.
“He is a great talent and arrived at Montpellier with a great skills set; his passing was sharp, has a lot of power, his footwork, agility and kicking is already at a high standard and with time he will get even better. Paolo was already selected by the club when I arrived and I knew about him as a new kid on the block and a potential star of the future.”
Reihana has also warned England that trying to physically intimidate Garbisi will be a waste of time as the 21-yeard-old has developed the kind of body normally featured in men’s health magazines. He explained: “Paolo has a muscular physique and I am pretty sure he has worked really hard to get that strong muscle tone. That is down to true professionalism and we saw after he arrived at Montpellier that he is very diligent in the gym with his stretching and his recovery is on the money.
“He has been doing this from an early age and is still developing and it will be interesting to see where he can get to in the next few years. He is part of the new generation and these youngsters recognise that they have to start earlier to make their bodies stronger because the contact area these days is brutal.
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“In the Top14 he has been great handling the pressure and because he is passionate and works so hard when he is in those (difficult) situations he can make the right decisions. The biggest thing I talk to Paolo about is when you make mistakes then it is about the next job and to switch onto that and go again.”
Having arrived at Montpellier from Italy this season, Garbisi, who has 11 caps and 64 points for Italy, helped the club knock Exeter out of the Heineken Champions Cup to reach the last 16 with his left footed kicking a major asset.
“Paolo is one of those 10s who is in top shape and is such a humble kid. He is very professional, easy to coach and listens well:” added Reihana. “On his kicking, I have worked with him about keeping his composure and to take every kick as if it is his last and then reset. His technique is good and he has an ability to transfer his weight through the kick to get power. That is why he gets such good distance.
“Paolo and Handre offer different capabilities and we have found they can be at 10 and 12 in the (Montpellier) team. The best 10-12 combination I have seen in the Top 14 was Jonny Wilkinson and Matt Giteau at Toulon – it was phenomenal and they just controlled the game and were able to kick off left and right. They were also very intelligent players who could get their team out of trouble with good decisions.
“For Italy to get Paolo and Tommy Allen (now at Harlequins) playing together could be really important and with the improvement at club level in Italy means players are now able to step up to test level. “
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
20 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
8 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
72 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
20 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
8 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
20 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
20 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
20 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
2 Go to comments