Former England captain brands Louis Lynagh Italy call 'brave'

Former England captain Dylan Hartley has described Louis Lynagh's decision to declare for Italy as a 'brave and proud'.

RugbyPass exclusively reveald that Lynagh was making the switch earlier this month and he could yet feature this weekend against France in Round 3 of the Six Nations.

Lynagh, the Treviso-born son of Australia great Michael who also played for the Italian club in the 1990s, quit Harlequins to join Italian club Benetton earlier this moth with the aim of representing the Azzurri.

The 23-year-old was called up by England under Eddie Jones but failed to win a cap and has been overlooked completely by Steve Borthwick since he took over in December 2022.

While Hartley didn't go as far as saying it was a missed opportunity for England, he backed the Lynagh for making the decision. Hartley, who left New Zealand at 16, followed a not dissimilar path to his international career.

"It’s tough to say [Whether it's a loss for England]," said Hartley. "Those who’ve seen him play week in, week out for Quins will be better qualified to say because I don’t watch Premiership rugby every single week, but I did see him score an absolute wonder try not so long ago. He does some great things.

"Here’s a kid with an opportunity to go and play international rugby. Does he wait (for an England or Australia call) or go for it? He’s absolutely going for it. Wing is a pretty difficult position. There’s not many guys that sit in a wing position internationally for years. It’s a highly competitive position and, these guys are so finely tuned, so the slightest sort of injury or form can have a massive impact on your international career.

"I think it’s a pretty bold decision by Louis and a proud decision as well. He’s proud to be half Italian. Good on him. Go for it. He is exactly what Italian rugby needs. If you look at the rest of the rugby world – your Bundee Aki’s or Duhan van der Merwe – it’s pretty common in international rugby.

"I think it’s good for the international rugby community. He takes his Premiership experience to the Italian side, which is only going to benefit the game. He’ll add to that environment and I’m sure he’ll learn a lot there too. I think it’s a great moment for him."

Hartley’s full conversation with Gambling Zone can be found here.