Six Nations: Capuozzo against Steward, the “extreme” challenge of England Italy in Twickenham

They are extreme goods, destined to come into contact: Ange Capuozzo and Freddie Steward, the number 15 of Italy and England who meet tomorrow in Twickenham in the Six Nations.

Fullback, as the name suggests, is the ultimate, terminal, stressful and “stretched” role of rugby: the last of the defenders, the first of the attackers. A human rubber band, ready to stretch high for catches, to leap desperately attempting the last goal-saving tackle. To sprint to chase the fleeing opponent but also to lose everyone, at the moment of the counterattack, when a defensive action turns into an attack and the number 15 is pure movement, the arrow that shoots or kicks while the others seem to be frozen in counterattack. And then the “finisseur” called to the decisive sprint, to the feint, to the discard, to the invention that displaces the defense and cheats the geometry.

Capuozzo, 23, and Steward, 22, are very different extremes, opposite in everything except the number they carry on their shoulders. Light, mercurial, creative Ange, who is 1.77 meters tall and weighs 71 kilos. Powerful, looming, deterrent Freddie, who is close to two meters (1.96) and exceeds one hundred kilos (107). Capuozzo has the almost beardless face of a faun, of an oval Peter Pan, the eyes still of a restless teenager, of a street urchin 2.0 used to exploring the world by equipping a way out where others see only walls. Intuition supreme, but can be improved on defense. «Against France he was less brilliant than usual – says Diego Dominguez – by now they have put him in their sights. And Ramos’ try could have avoided it». Ange was born in France into a family of Italian immigrants, his grandparents were glove makers in Naples and in Grenoble after the war they found a stable future, his mother is French and Malagasy, Charles Aznavour and Massimo Ranieri are on his playlist. He gave Italy the imagination it lacked, the instinct of the metaman who grew up where rugby is bread more than football and the discipline of invention. Before rugby, the total passion that convinced him to interrupt his studies in Commercial Technology at the University of Grenoble, he tried judo, Thai boxing, the inevitable ball (“which remains the family sport”), but he chose the oval: «Because I immediately liked the contact, and the possibility of avoiding it, the freedom to run. It would be nice to be technical and robust, fast and powerful, but you can’t have everything, so it’s better to play with your best weapons». In an interview with Repubblica he recounted his most important tackle: «There was a big boy like a big man. Cross the field, I’m there. I have to stop it. I was scared. I hurt myself, but he went down ».

Freddie, strong jaw and keeled deltoid, was born in Dereham, Norfolk, comes from an ancient and generous vineyard of rugby players (the Youngs brothers, van Portvliet), bears a surname that belonged to the royal house of Scotland and England, in 2022 World Rugby has included him in the ideal «Fifteen»: in other words, he is considered the strongest full-back in the world. As a child he wanted to be a detective and read detective stories, “but now I don’t have much time”. However, he found the time to study, with difficulty, and in the summer a degree in Economics at Loughborough Economy, in Leicestershire awaits him (he is missing three exams). “Studying and playing rugby wasn’t easy – he told AllRugby magazine – When I get home I have to make the most of the time I have available and get straight to the books, no wasting time, no TV or other distractions”. Few social networks, too, and the results are visible. During the lockdown he brought home a bag of balls and went out to train in any climate with his brother, work ethic and physique are his two cardinal points. “When I was at Norwich School they noticed me because I was taller and bigger than the others, then at some point I stopped growing. The goal is often only the consequence of being in the right place at the right time, and for me it’s not important how you play, but that what you decide to do makes you win. I try to do my job well, to deliver a solid performance, that’s my philosophy, to stick to the game plan without too many frills, to catch volleys, to kick well and to be a threat to the opposition when attacking with my ball in hand, without the need to be spectacular and invent something special». Rationality contending for power with the imagination. Who will win tomorrow?

«Italy had an excellent season – concedes Steward, guardian in name and in fact of Twickenham and of tradition -. There are very strong players, Ange Capuozzo is a very good full back, very different from me, what he does is incredible, a constant threat when he runs with the ball in his hand. It’s great to see him attack, he’s a star of the future, but it’s the whole team that is strong and recently the Azzurri have been playing some great rugby. I think there is no longer the gap with the other teams and as far as I know it will be a real challenge». Or if you prefer, an extreme comparison.