Well here we are, the end of the Six Nations for another year (grab your tissues) and it was another roller coaster ride, it’s time for the Italy Six Nations Review. Having covered them during this Six Nations a range of emotions have surfaced, from elation to frustration. Their final challenge on Saturday was Wales, one they failed rather miserably at.
By half time it looked promising at the Stadio Olympico as Wales hardly deserved their 14-13 lead at the break. The Italians were dogged and full of heart in the first half, and the signs were there that they could possibly break Welsh hearts. However the second half was a different story with Wales piling on the points ending up 61-20 winners; a day the Italians will want to forget.
They can however take a lot from this tournament. The first major plus is that The Azzurri avoided the wooden spoon as that went to Scotland and that can surely be a psychological boost for the Italians leading into the World Cup. Secondly their defence has been excellent in this tournament at times, no one can doubt their heart and work ethic and any team can guarantee if they run at the Italians they will be smashed unless they run around them of course. The emergence of some alternative leaders to Sergio Parisse can only be positive for the Italians, for too long the teams hopes have rested on his shoulders but now that no longer seems to be the case. These leaders include: Josh Furno, Samuela Vunisa, Edoardo Gori and Luke Mclean to name a few. Finally The Azzurri are now realising that their pack is the way that they can gain a stronghold in the game, and set the platform for the team. We saw glimpses of that this tournament.
However, they did have their darker moments throughout the tournament. From a neutrals point of view, the biggest problem they seem to have is that they tend to fade away in games and lose their intensity. This could be due to fitness, or lack of impact from substitutions. Whatever it may be, it needs addressing. Furthermore, when the team is on the back foot they seem to implode as seen on the weekend, and confusion reigns. During their World Cup camp this needs to be addressed and it’s where the leaders in the team need to stand up and take control. Alongside the intensity issue, you of course have the lack of points from the tee. This hampered the team both on the scoreboard and psychologically due to the players working hard for the penalty, or try and it not being rewarded. The Azzurri need to find a fly half and stick with him. Finally the discipline and silly errors are something that is also hurting the team badly and potentially costing the team points, they will go in to many games underdogs at the World Cup so being clinical is key.
No one is doubting the Italian’s skill and desire, but their execution and intensity is still way off of the top teams. They have time before the World Cup to address some issues, but not a lot. Having followed the team throughout this tournament it would be a shame for the World Cup to be another disappointment for them as they have shown glimpses of how good they can be.
