Sebastian Negri has become an automatic starter for Italy with some standout performances in the back row in recent years.

He is skilled at tackling, when it comes to the breakdown and at maul time.

Read more: Italy Six Nations squad

Ten things you should know about Sebastian Negri

1. Sebastian Negri was born on 30 June 1994 in Marondera, Zimbabwe. He stands at 6ft 5in (1.95m) and weighs 17st (108kg).

2. He plays for Italian club Benetton.

3. Negri qualifies to play for Italy through his Italian father.

4. Ex-Scotland player David Denton is Negri’s mother’s godson.

5. He won his first Italy cap in 2016 against the USA. He has gone onto represent Italy at a World Cup.

6. Negri originally was a fly-half but as he grew in height he switched to the forwards.

7. He spoke to The Guardian about his upbringing, saying: “My family went through a bit of a difficult time with the land reforms, we lost our farms, we moved down to South Africa and I continued my studies. It was a difficult time for all of us. It’s never nice to have to leave your home. My parents are my role models and I’ve got great respect with how they dealt with everything. [My siblings and I] all have Italian passports so I knew it was the route I was going to take.”

8. He moved to England to study at Hartpury College.

9. England’s Ellis Genge potentially saved Negri’s life in the 2022 Six Nations when he alerted medics to the fact he was unconscious. He rolled Negri onto his side to prevent him from swallowing his tongue.

10. He regularly posts images with his partner Greta on social media.

Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.

Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.