Ireland can win it, but England must win the tournament (you know, they’re going to host that thing called World Cup and need to prove they can survive to the hardest pool).
How are Italy shaping up? Improving, I suppose…
Don’t ask, don’t tell. Jacques Brunel put four uncapped players in his first training group: Treviso’s Simone Ragusi, Calvisano’s Marcello Violi, Zebre’s Michele Visentin and Giulio Bisegni.
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Stephen White / INPHO
Stephen White / INPHO / INPHO
“The tournament is the last real opportunity to test some young people who are proving to have interesting qualities in Guinness Pro12 or, as in the case of Violi, at the top of the Italian top division,” Brunel said. But don’t forget that teams from Italian top divisions have major problems in European competitions (Rovigo’s last trip to Cardiff was a 104-point nightmare).
Italy still haven’t learnt the winning way, despite all the opportunities given by the Six Nations and international test matches. Our economy is stuck in depression and keeps slowing down: the same for our rugby ambitions.
Six months out from the World Cup (and Ireland again) how is your coach handling the pressure?
I’m afraid Brunel is out of touch with modern rugby: this game is evolving day by day, the gap between northern and southern hemisphere is widening and Italian union is marked by parochial fights and not developing.
Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
What worries you about the Azzuri?
The new generation: is it ready? I think we reached the top in the recent past and now we need to do the next step, to evolve. This isn’t happening.
Maybe this is a silly question, but who will be your key player this season?
Sergio Parisse. He’s a world class player and you can predict Italy’s matches according to his commitment and performances on the pitch.
But Ian McGeechan’s right: he needs to be supported by his team-mates especially when he’s targeted by apposition defence in order to guarantee a plan B.
From any country, who do you think will be a surprise package this spring?
I can’t name a single player: I’m curious to watch Cotter’s Scotland. Then I may say George Ford, since Farrell is injured and that jersey weighs a lot.
Which game are you looking forward to most of all?
I always have a soft spot for Wales. So definitely Wales v England. Remember, England need this Championship. The pressure will be on from the start.
Italy: We'll always have Parisse
GOOD MORNING, RUGBY fans. We know it’s a good morning because the Six Nations is only two days away.
To celebrate we asked our tamed Italian Stallion Dario Mazzocchi of Right Rugby to shine a little light on how the Azzurri are shaping up before they ambush the champions in Rome on Saturday.
Who will win the Six Nations?
Ireland can win it, but England must win the tournament (you know, they’re going to host that thing called World Cup and need to prove they can survive to the hardest pool).
How are Italy shaping up? Improving, I suppose…
Don’t ask, don’t tell. Jacques Brunel put four uncapped players in his first training group: Treviso’s Simone Ragusi, Calvisano’s Marcello Violi, Zebre’s Michele Visentin and Giulio Bisegni.
“The tournament is the last real opportunity to test some young people who are proving to have interesting qualities in Guinness Pro12 or, as in the case of Violi, at the top of the Italian top division,” Brunel said. But don’t forget that teams from Italian top divisions have major problems in European competitions (Rovigo’s last trip to Cardiff was a 104-point nightmare).
Italy still haven’t learnt the winning way, despite all the opportunities given by the Six Nations and international test matches. Our economy is stuck in depression and keeps slowing down: the same for our rugby ambitions.
Six months out from the World Cup (and Ireland again) how is your coach handling the pressure?
I’m afraid Brunel is out of touch with modern rugby: this game is evolving day by day, the gap between northern and southern hemisphere is widening and Italian union is marked by parochial fights and not developing.
What worries you about the Azzuri?
The new generation: is it ready? I think we reached the top in the recent past and now we need to do the next step, to evolve. This isn’t happening.
Maybe this is a silly question, but who will be your key player this season?
Sergio Parisse. He’s a world class player and you can predict Italy’s matches according to his commitment and performances on the pitch.
But Ian McGeechan’s right: he needs to be supported by his team-mates especially when he’s targeted by apposition defence in order to guarantee a plan B.
From any country, who do you think will be a surprise package this spring?
I can’t name a single player: I’m curious to watch Cotter’s Scotland. Then I may say George Ford, since Farrell is injured and that jersey weighs a lot.
Which game are you looking forward to most of all?
I always have a soft spot for Wales. So definitely Wales v England. Remember, England need this Championship. The pressure will be on from the start.
Go check out more from RightRugby here or follow on Twitter @RightRugby.
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