Tommaso Menoncello

Few Italian backs have announced themselves as emphatically as Tommaso Menoncello, who marked his 2022 Six Nations debut against France with a try as a teenager. Born in 2002, the powerfully built centre has since become a cornerstone of the Azzurri back line, prized for his ball-carrying, defensive solidity and a surprising turn of pace for a man of his size. He gives Italy a genuine gain-line threat and a creative spark in midfield, capable of breaking the line and bringing others into play. His rapid rise has mirrored the broader progress of Italian rugby, and his form at the highest level has earned him recognition among the standout midfielders in the European game. Defensively reliable and a willing worker off the ball, he offers his coaches the kind of dual threat that allows them to build attacking shape around him. Strong in contact and increasingly influential in attack, Menoncello remains central to Italy's ambitions as they look to convert their growing competitiveness into results on the international stage.