Callum Braley: Italy scrum-half on Six Nations hopes and probable UK return

Italy scrum-half Callum Braley hopes this year's Six Nations will be one of their best and help improve their reputation on the international stage.

But Braley points to improvements during the autumn internationals and an influx of youth in the squad as signs of positive development.

"Hopefully we can put that on a show this year and give a good account of ourselves," Braley told BBC Sport.

"It's hopefully going to be the best one yet for us as a group."

Italy have not won a Six Nations game since 2015 and have taken home the dreaded wooden spoon in 16 of the 22 years they have competed.

Last year's tournament saw them concede 239 points - their most ever.

• Who are the favourites for the Six Nations?
• Which new faces could make a big impression?
• How to follow the Six Nations across the BBC

Former All Black Kieran Crowley came in as head coach last May and has rung the changes, dropping last year's captain Luca Bigi and experienced fly-half Carlo Canna and naming six uncapped players in the squad.

"We've had a big turnover of players and a lot of young players in the last year and a half. It's kind of a new team in that respect, a new group of people, but also from an experience point of view as well," Braley said.

"This group is developing and growing every game."

The Autumn Series saw Italy beat Uruguay for their first win since 2019, with Crowley taking charge of his first block of games.

While they lost to Argentina and New Zealand, the latter by a score of 47-9, Braley believes there are positives, particularly in limiting the All Blacks to no more than a 12-point margin for 60 minutes.

"We defended really well, when perhaps we haven't in recent years and let ourselves down. For us to be physical in defence and hold the All Blacks the way we did, for as long as we did, hopefully we gained some respect for that," Braley continued.

"We know that we are responsible for changing our identity and how people view us."

A 'no-brainer' decision

Having played for England at under-20 level, Bristol-born Braley was first called up to the Italy team in 2019, qualifying through his Italian grandfather.

He made his debut against England that summer and played in the World Cup a few months later.

Braley now has 12 caps and this will be his third Six Nations, competing for the number nine shirt with Wales-born former Gloucester team-mate Stephen Varney.

"I see myself as part-English, part-Italian. It's huge. I always grew up wanting to play international rugby, I didn't know what avenue that would be [but] I always knew I had the possibility of England and Italy," he said.

"When I had the first phone call from Conor O'Shea [then Italy head coach] it was a no-brainer for me really."

In 2020, Braley moved to Italy with his family, signing a two-year contract with Benetton after six years and more than 100 appearances for Gloucester.

"With Willi [Heinz, then Gloucester scrum-half] being club captain and playing awesome, I didn't see where I was going to make the next step from a playing point of view, to getting more game time.

"I felt like I needed to make a change and hopefully get a few more opportunities and progress."

Self-reflection and growth

The move has not been without its challenges. Italy was hit hard by Covid-19, and Braley and his young family found themselves living in lockdown for much of their first year in Treviso.

The pandemic had a knock-on effect on the pitch too, with games cancelled and Braley struggling to find momentum around call-ups to the international squad.

"It was hard to get some continuity and I kind of feel the same this year, really," he said.

"I've had some good games but with the nature of being in camp [with Italy], being back to the club, I don't feel like I've really settled into a good rhythm."

Among the 27-year-old's 21 appearances for Benetton are a victory in the Pro14 Rainbow Cup final last June, but Braley says he is not playing the way he hoped he would.

"I still feel like I'm playing within myself a lot, which I find disappointing. I hope that I can be freer and express myself more in the future," he explained.

"If I'm being brutally honest I loved my time at Gloucester but I didn't have a period of time where I was in really good form or backed on a regular basis.

"And I guess over time maybe that does just play in your own mind. I haven't had the confidence in myself that I probably should have in the past."

This week Benetton confirmed Braley will be leaving at the end of the season, with a move back to the UK expected. Still, the period in Italy has brought plenty of positives.

"I feel like I've started to gain a better understanding of myself on a personal level, especially from this experience," Braley said.

"I've realised what's important to me, my family and my understanding of the game. I think I'm learning how to interact with people better. I feel like I've made some good growth in that regard."