The stats behind struggling Zebre's logic in extending contracts of a dozen forwards
Italian franchise Zebre may have just two wins from a dozen outings in this season’s Guinness PRO14, but the solidity of their pack has resulted in a dozen of their forwards signing contract extensions to stay in Parma.
Tournament statistics have Michael Bradley’s side placed first in terms of scrum won (98 per cent with 80 wins out of 82 engagements and seven scrum penalties won) and in second place in terms of lineout success (89 per cent with 141 lineouts won, 18 lineouts lost and six lineout steals).
That set-piece certainty has helped convince Bradley to stay loyal to a dozen of his options – three back row players Giovanni Licata, David Sisi and Jimmy Tuivaiti, five props Eduardo Bello, Andrea Lovotti, Danilo Fischetti, Daniele Rimpelli and Giosue Zilocchi, two hookers Massimo Ceciliani and Marco Manfredi and two locks Leonard Krumov and Samuele Ortis.
“These twelve players will be part of the Zebre scrum in the next few years,’ explained team manager Andrea de Rossi. “There are players who are already part of the national team and young people who we hope will join them in the coming months.
“We’ve believed in them, just as they immediately had faith in the club’s project. These renewals are the result of planning and awareness of what has been done in the past, what is being done and what we can continue to do in the future.
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“It’s a fact that the scrum and the lineout have improved this year and this has allowed us to perform much better than in past seasons, so it’s right and natural to confirm, renew and for some to extend their contracts with Zebre.”
With the exception of Fischetti and Manfredi (who have renewed until June 2023), Bello, Lovotti, Licata, Rimpelli and Zilocchi have signed until June 2022, and Sisi, Ceciliani, Krumov, Ortis and Tuivati have extended their contract until the end of next season (June 2021), the latter four with the possibility to extend it for another year.
Despite the ongoing wait for better match results in the PRO14, the success of the project undertaken at Zebre is also evident in the debut of five of these dozen forwards with the Italian national team.
While Lovotti has increased his game time with Italy, Fischetti, Giovanni Licata, Sisi, Tuivaiti and Zilocchi have earned their first cap with the Azzurri between 2017 and 2020.
WATCH: RugbyPass goes behind the scenes at Zebre
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments