An article in the Glasgow Herald in Scotland talks about one of Barga’s newest and brightest sports hopes – Giorgio Biagi. Here is that article in full:
Aironi’s selection for today’s first Italian-Scottish Magners League match at the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella has denied the visiting contingent the chance to run the rule over an unlikely-sounding potential Scotland contender.
The name of Giorgio Fabio Biagi, a lock forward who turns 25 on Monday, may sound classically Italian, but not only was he educated in Edinburgh but he was born in Irvine and is still very much inclined towards the land of his birth.
That, at least, is the account offered by Willie Gibson, Biagi’s uncle who could hardly be more Scottish as an SNP councillor in North Ayrshire who played in the Ardrossan front row, going on to be president of the club twice and of Ayrshire rugby in its heyday.
“The family was here because George’s grand-father [also Giorgio] ran an ice creamery in Saltcoats and his father Michael was involved in that but then took him back to Italy when he set up a business in Barga,” Gibson explained.
“He went to primary school in Italy but was then a boarder at Fettes. He is very Scottish in his attitude and is a big lad [6ft 6in and 17st 3lb]. We don’t have that many of those here and they clearly must see something in him there because there is a lot of quality at Aironi.”
Biagi has previously played professionally for Prato, near Florence and for Parma before being picked up by the new professional franchise in the summer. That he has yet to make his debut must be placed in perspective since he is understudying Marco Bortolami, the former Italian captain who is only a replacement today, Carlo Del Fava and Quintin Geldenhuys, their collective quality and experience reflected in a collective haul of 142 international caps.
While nationalistic considerations are relatively easily set aside by Gibson today then as he pulls for his nephew’s team, he admits there may be more mixed feelings when Aironi visit Firhill in November. All the moreso because that may be when Biagi gets his chance with Italy likely to have the national squad together ahead of the autumn Tests.
Either way his uncle is eager to ensure his Scottish credentials are not overlooked and among others he has alerted Gavin Hastings, the former Edinburgh chairman whom he knows socially.
“I don’t know how good George is. I’ve not seen him play because I am usually over in Italy in the summer so have only seen him on film, but he must be considered pretty good to have got into that squad and if he is good enough to play international rugby then I think it would be a case of who approached him first,” said Gibson.
Meantime, the challenge for several who have a more immediate chance of inclusion in the Scotland squad is to avoid allowing Biagi’s club-mates an historic first Magners League win.
There is evidence in their selection that the home team may have targeted this match since their starting XV looks substantially stronger than for last week’s meeting with the Ospreys – which they lost.
Edinburgh’s management have also made changes and, as was observed by Alan MacDonald, the international flanker who is among those brought in, it is important to keep players on their toes.
“If you play a run of games you are going to get tired and maybe pick up some bad habits, so it’s always good to keep fresh,” he said.
In that regard this weekend’s performances may offer an interesting psychological study given the contrast with Glasgow’s approach in sending out an unchanged team against Ulster last night. – source
