Rugby, Six Nations, Crowley: “We challenge the best in the world”

Italy coach Kieran Crowley defines him as “the most competitive, balanced and uncertain Six Nations ever”. In fact, in the recent international November, the Europeans defeated the battleships of the Southern hemisphere, namely South Africa, All Blacks and Australia: this, according to the New Zealander, makes “France, England and Ireland the strongest teams in the world, so much so that if the World Cup of 2023 were to be played now, one of them would win “. A state of affairs that allows us to imagine an Italy, which will debut on Sunday 6 February in Paris with France, even further away from a possible return to victory in a tournament that has always seen it come out defeated in the last 32 games played. Azzurri who have closed at zero points in the last 2 editions, and who by adding the last four have collected the misery of one point (dated 2018). The latest victory remains that of 28 February 2015 in Scotland (22-19), while the last victory in Rome dates back to 16 March 2013 (22-15 in Ireland).

best

–

Crowley has been at work for a week with the blue group in the Verona meeting: “It was a good week, well organized. Who will be the extreme? We have several players who can fill that position so we feel safe and have full confidence. In the role of right prop we have many injuries, it will be up to Pietro Ceccarelli and Tiziano Pasquali not to make those absent regret it. The return of Sergio Parisse? We are in constant contact, in November he was injured, two weeks ago we decided to let him play with his club in Toulon and then we will come back to take him into consideration from the next call-up for the third match “. We start from a Six Nations 2021 closed with the worst statistics in history. “Looking at the matches a year ago – says coach Crowley – defense was a big problem, as was the discipline, so they represent two areas on which we are working intensely”. A calendar that after France includes the match with England at home, then the first break, then Ireland in Dublin, second break and closure with Scotland at home and Wales in Cardiff in the last: for Crowley it will not be possible to schedule a management of men: “There is no strategy, we take each game as it comes, we will always choose the best. We don’t have a particular match to aim for, the goal must be to play every match in the best possible way “.

lamaro

–

To those who ask Michele Lamaro if he considers himself an image man of this team, the blue captain replies without frills: “It is not my job to be an image man, rather I have to think about making in the world that my teammates can make the most of their characteristics, inspire them to express ourselves better on the pitch. What is around us, passion, is a secondary aspect. In November we lacked the experience to bring the spirit we had shown with the All Blacks back into the other two games. My favorites are France and Ireland, but I see the bleus slightly at an advantage on the calendar ”.

presidents

–

For March Innocenti will be the first Six Nations as FIR president: “There are many expectations for a tournament where teams that have beaten the greats of the Southern hemisphere will meet, we will challenge them by giving our best. The goal is to bring rugby back to the top, stably in the top 10 in the world. So far we are the losers, but we are here to change the state of affairs. Like all the players of my generation, I looked at the Five Nations with the aspiration and the dream of playing it, so today I like to think of being a rookie “. Giovanni Malagò, on the other hand, as president of Coni has already experienced many, but as a fan he has not missed a game since the first edition of 2000 (institutional commitments permitting): “The Six Nations is the history of sport, I have spoken many times with Innocenti president, I have seen good signs, there is confidence in the coach and I am happy for many reasons that the captain is Michele Lamaro. There are conditions to do well and bring rugby to the top “. In spite of Italy’s disastrous performance, the Six Nations confirmed its solidarity alongside the Italian Federation, as CEO Ben Morel explained yesterday at the official launch of the Tournament: “It’s not a question of credibility. The Italian leaders know very well what the problems are and are investing huge resources to solve them. And I see a young team able to grow well. The Six Nations format is not in question and the possible introduction of promotions and relegations is not on the agenda. We know that behind there are emerging nationals like Georgia who are asking for space, but I believe that a better service would be rendered by offering them more important matches in the international windows of July and November ”.

the others

–

From the other teams, the biggest news comes on the England front: captain designate Owen Farrell will miss the entire tournament with an ankle injury. Having operated on his other ankle injured in the test against Australia in November, the Saracens’ opening half was injured in training and yesterday was operated on again for an expected 10-week stop. Everything suggests that Wales will also be deprived of their legendary captain Alun Wyn Jones for the entire tournament: the 36-year-old second line, fresh from two shoulder surgeries, has reached 161 international caps. However, coach Wayne Pivac does not rule out the possibility of having him back for the last two games.