Few people could know how close Wallabies flanker Carlo Tizzano was to lacing up for Italy rather than Australia.
In fact, he might've even played in their famous 2022 Test victory over Dave Rennie's side or earlier still were it not for his burning desire to remain Australian-eligible as a rookie on the rise.
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Born to Italian parents in Perth, Tizzano is one of the Western Force's few home-grown talents and last year fulfilled a lifelong dream of wearing Wallaby gold following his breakout Super Rugby Pacific season under Simon Cron.
Yet the 24-year-old could've easily been running out for gli Azzurri three years earlier with Tizzano revealing the Italian Rugby Federation were eager to secure his services.
"I'd always kind of been in contact with them. In 2017 after I made the Australian Schoolboys and didn't end up playing, I had an opportunity to go over and do a couple of weeks with Benneton and play with the Italian U18s," Tizzano told rugby.com.au.
"So I had that opportunity and didn't take that up but then I really wanted to. It would've been such a cool experience, moving across to the other side of the world for a couple of weeks and getting experience there but it didn't come to life.
"Then in 2021 there was an opportunity to play in some of the Autumn Test matches for Italy but contractually it wasn't going to work out with the Waratahs and it would've made me ineligible (for Australia).
"To be honest, I wasn't ready for international rugby. I was 21 and looking back now, I was nowhere near ready. A couple of times there was a chance to play for Emerging Italy too but they would've counted as a cap too."
Italy's push to cap Tizzano didn't end there with the flanker revealing the IRF were in contact as recently as last year.
"I was talking to the Italian national team throughout Super Rugby but I just didn't pull the trigger on it and you know, good thing I didn't because I achieved my childhood dream of playing for the Wallabies," Tizzano said.
"There was always the dream of playing international rugby but it was always for the Wallabies because of where I grew up and wanting to represent WA.
"Obviously I'd love to play for Italy - it's where my parents are from and whatnot but I'm born in Australia so, yeah, lucky I didn't pull the trigger and it's all worked out."
While Australia's lucky to have retained this particular Tizzano, the Azzurri might yet get their hands on another home-grown Perth talent with Carlo's younger brother Cristiano bound for Italy's top club - Benetton.
A talented halfback with a background in Australian rules football, Cristiano shone for Perth premier grade champions Associates through 2024 and finished second in the PG Hampshire (men's best and fairest) Trophy count.
"His clips were good enough to get him at Benetton for a couple of months. He flew there last Tuesday so he's there at the moment over there for a couple of months and then they're going to determine whether he'll stay there full time," Tizzano said.
"He's super keen, he's fired up and he's a competitor like me. He's running a 4:17 Bronco at the moment, I reckon he'd one of the fittest players in Australian rugby at the moment - he's built different, he just gets after it."
