'He loves to hit hard' - Saints sign Italy hooker Manfredi

The 28-year-old, capped three times at Test level by the Azzurri, joins the black, green and gold for the 2025/26 campaign.

His arrival is a timely one, with hooker Curtis Langdon recently undergoing surgery on a shoulder injury that could keep him out until after Christmas.

Manfredi makes the switch to Northampton from United Rugby Championship side Benetton Rugby, and he’s been helping to prepare Saints for their second Gallagher PREM clash of the new term, at Gloucester on Sunday.

And Saints boss Phil Dowson is delighted to be able to welcome the Italy ace to the Gardens.

“Given Curtis’s injury and Robbie Smith is coming back from a long-term ACL injury, we needed another number in the hooker area – and so Marco has come into our environment," Dowson said.

“He knows Danilo (Fischetti) very well, and he comes to us with a good reputation.

"We watched him play a couple of times and we had a good chat with him off the back of that.

“Danilo has made a big impact in the short time he’s been with us, and if he rates Marco, then Marco’s in a good place.

“Marco’s very physical, he loves to hit hard. He’s got good set-piece fundamentals in both the scrum and lineout, and I think there’s space for us to get more out of him from an attacking point of view with his carrying.

"We’re happy to have him with us.”

German-born Manfredi began his rugby career in Montpellier Hérault’s junior team before making the move to Italian club Calvisano for the 2017/18 season.

While there, the hooker spent time on loan at Zebre Parma and went on to sign on for the URC side in 2019, where he would make 50 appearances across six seasons before linking up with Benetton at the beginning of last term.

Previously a regular in Italy’s Under-20s squad, Manfredi earned himself a selection to the senior Azzurri squad for the 2023 Six Nations and would make his Test debut in the final match of that tournament against Scotland.

The hooker has since added two more international caps to his tally; first featuring alongside Saints’ new recruit Danilo Fischetti in Italy’s Summer Nations Series opener against Scotland in 2023, before he came off the bench in a Rugby World Cup clash against France later that summer.

“I’m super excited to be a part of Northampton Saints,” Manfredi said. “I can’t wait to get playing with the lads.

"I know the history of Northampton and how far back the club goes back, and I am pleased to able to play a part in that.

“The PREM is quite different to the URC. It is a faster game here, it is a big competition.

"I am looking forward to trying a new league and testing myself in a new environment.

“I’ve known Danilo Fischetti for a long time now, he’s a very close friend and he was a big part of the reason I decided to come to Northampton.

“He’s only said good things about the club, that it’s a great stadium with great supporters, and that the team here make you feel comfortable as soon as you arrive.

“The coaching staff, medics and everyone I’ve met so far has been amazing with me – I’m excited to get going.”