When Italy host Ireland in a couple of weeks’ time they could potentially fall to their 20th defeat in a row in the 6 Nations but are things actually looking up?
There have been calls for Italy to be replaced in the competition by the likes of Georgia as people are becoming frustrated watching them become the whipping boys of the tournament.
Wales were able to change 10 players in their starting XV when they met Italy over the weekend and still came away with a win, however, the difference was only 11 points this year, compared to 24 last year.
Even against Scotland, Italy showed a spirit to keep going to the end and were rewarded with three tries in the final 10 minutes, something we wouldn’t have seen before.
Results are one thing that speak volumes but what Conor O’Shea has begun in Italy is a system of building the country into one that compete.
He has targeted the two main clubs in Italy as the place to lay the foundations of this structure and nobody can argue that it isn’t working.
You only have to look at the Pro 14 tables to see that Benetton are currently heading into a match with Leinster on Saturday in a clash of the current top two in Conference B.
Yes, there may only be two points separating them in second and Ulster in fifth, but they are in with a real shout of claiming a semi-final spot and that is not something that should be laughed at.
Zebre on the other hand are currently bottom of Conference A but there is progress for one of the two.
Italy captain Sergio Parisse has often talked of O’Shea’s tactics and his admiration for them.
“Over the past three years with Conor we have started making a lot of changes in Italy, working behind the scenes with the two franchises,”
“Personally, I wish we’d made those changes 10 years ago. But it’s better now than to continue doing nothing,”
Parisse himself is one of only three players
in the 31-man Italian squad not to be playing his trade in his home country
showing O’Shea’s belief in the grassroots programme they are creating.
With 18 of the 31 coming from Benetton it
will surely encourage future players to continue their development in their
home nation.
On the international stage itself there has
been less of a reliance on the legendary No 8 too. With players such as Tomasso
Allan, Braam Steyn and Edoardo Padovani showing they are capable
of performing to a higher level.
The simple fact is that despite all the
losses and talk of being cut out of the tournament, Italy only started this
process three years ago, not 10 like Parisse wishes.
In three years, Benetton have gone from
bottom of the table to a possible Champions Cup team. That is incredible in
itself and it is clear that the players are able to compete at club level.
Time will tell if they can replicate that
on an international stage, and if Zebre can match Benetton’s heights, but maybe
for now we should cut them some slack.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and we should remember that before we crush the dream’s being developed in the Italian hearts or we could regret losing a potentially great team out of
