There are plenty of ifs, buts, maybes and coulds for Italy this year which is only beneficial for the Six Nations after years of being the tournament’s whipping boys.While there was plenty to be positive about from Italy’s performances last year, their scrum continues to be somewhat of a concern which makes the performances of […]
There are plenty of ifs, buts, maybes and coulds for Italy this year which is only beneficial for the Six Nations after years of being the tournament’s whipping boys.While there was plenty to be positive about from Italy’s performances last year, their scrum continues to be somewhat of a concern which makes the performances of Marco Ricconi all the more important. While scrummaging is very much a full eight-man effort, particularly at the highest level, the tighthead prop is hugely important from a technical point of view. Getting the set-pieces right will be crucial for any team in the Six Nations but all the more so for the less fancied.
Italy are on the road first up against a Scotland team that will be out for revenge after last year’s result. The opening match of the tournament is always a tricky one to predict with the teams shaking off the rust and with both sides boasting a large pool of players from a local club, Glasgow and Benetton, it makes it all the more tricky.
2025 promises to be a hugely competitive Six Nations campaign with all six teams fancying their chances. Italy are no different, particularly with favourable home matches. However, the added desire to impress with the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour is bound to hurt the Azzurri as players look to impress Andy Farrell. It could very well be Italy’s greatest championship since joining the tournament but frankly, it seems just a step too far for Quesada’s men as we believe many of the final standings could come down to bonus points. While we predict that they won’t prop up the table, they will finish in the same position as last year. If we learnt anything from Test rugby in 2024, it’s that the games at the highest level are decided by the finest of margins, the bounce of the ball or it simply falling over, a card and impact from the bench. Ultimately, for Italy, we predict that too many of their matches will be decided by those tight margins for them to finish high than fifth.
But before then the Azzurri must navigate a testing but frankly exciting Six Nations schedule.
Last year
A trip to Twickenham follows and who knows with a bit of momentum and dependent on England’s results to that stage, Italy may have their tails up before completing their campaign at home against Ireland.
Perhaps the improvements that Italy need to realise their potential are evident in the Ireland result as the Azzurri repeated those kinds of performances later in the year.
However, it gets all the more interesting from round two onwards for the Azzurri as they will knock over Warren Gatland’s Wales team on Italian soil before hosting the French team after the fallow week. By the time those fixtures roll around, Quesada would have had enough time to bed in new ideas and improvements while the cohesion factor will be in full force; of course this applies to both teams but with the confidence of last year’s results paired with home advantage, they will fancy their chances.
After notching up wins over Tonga, Japan and Georgia in 2024, Quesada’s charges ended the year on high with a mightily brave performance against a strong All Blacks team, pushing Scott Robertson’s side all the way in a 29-11 defeat with the scoreboard flattering New Zealand.
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The former Los Pumas fly-half had an immediate impact on the Azzurri in his first year in charge after taking over from Kieran Crowley.
This year
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Saturday, February 1 v Scotland (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh)
Saturday, February 8 v Wales (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)
Sunday, February 23 v France (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)
Sunday, March 9 v England(Allianz Stadium, Twickenham)
Saturday, March 15 v Ireland (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)
That performance against Les Bleus was a real standout of 2024 with a late missed Paolo Garbisi penalty deciding the match, with the ball cruelly falling off the tee before he lined up the kick.
With real superstars starting to make their mark on the international game and Benetton impressing in Europe, there are certainly positive signs that the Azzurri are not letting their positive upswing slip.
That is further highlighted by Manuel Zuliani’s presence in the squad. The loose forward pilfered over for what looked to be a match-winning penalty against France last year only for the kick to drift wide. With the bench playing a crucial role in international rugby recently, Zuliani is bound to have a massive Six Nations.
Italy’s inspirational captain Michele Lamaro has been the poster boy for the Italian revolution over the past few years with his style of play not only fitting the team’s requirements perfectly but his ever-improving performances epitomises the Azzurri’s rise. Lamaro is not only a force on defence and at the breakdown but he has the soft skillset that few back-rowers do as he is essentially another playmaker on the park.
Next up in our set of previews ahead of the Six Nations, we examine the prospects of last year’s fifth-placed finishers, Gonzalo Quesada’s Italy.
Key players
Quesada admits ahead of this year’s tournament that the team is still yet to reach their potential after a handful of mixed results in 2024 and he will look to build on what was a solid foundation laid last year.
Notably, against Argentina when they were thrashed 50-18 on home soil with the 33-25 loss to Samoa also an outliner in what was an excellent year for Italy on the whole.
Italy have real threats around the park but perhaps none so more than their master tactician Paolo Garbisi. The Italian playmaker has kicked his game into another gear since arriving at Toulon midway through the Six Nations last year and with a more settled club campaign and guided by the wily Dan Biggar in France, Garbisi is primed for a stellar Six Nations. Last year, he was left gutted by his failure to convert his penalty against France but he bounced back the very next week to illustrate his mental toughness.
However, a year is a very long time in rugby terms and 2025 is set to be a real challenge for Italy.
Players to watch
Much of Italy’s success last year was centred around the midfield partnership of the outstanding Juan Ignacio Brex and Tommaso Menoncello, the latter being named the Six Nations Player of the Championship. The combination is easily one of the finest in international rugby with nigh-on telepathic understanding of one another on both sides of the ball. If Italy are to cause an upset or two in 2025, best believe that the two Benetton stars will be front and centre of their efforts.
Quesada will be hellbent on his team building on the momentum that 2024 provided and springboard up the Six Nations table before a daunting trip to South Africa in July.
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Not that you’d be able to keep your eyes off him but Ange Capuozzo fits the bill perfectly. An outside back with blistering pace, the Toulouse star is also blessed with a stunning side step and a real nose for the try line. Add in his marvellous link play and handy boot and you have the recipe for one of the most lethal attacking weapons in the competition. Best believe he will be featuring regularly in the highlight reels.
But overall their tournament performance was viewed in a rather positive light and rightly so as they were a try away from winning their other two defeats, with the loss to Ireland being the outliner as they were emphatically hammered by the eventual champions.
Prospects
2024 saw Italy break a wretched streak of eight consecutive Wooden Spoon finishes in the Six Nations as they notched up victories over Wales and Scotland and drew with France.
Fixtures
Former pizza delivery boy Ross Vintcent made a big splash in the Six Nations last year and at the age of 22, he can only get better from here. He has stiff competition for the number eight jersey in the form of Lorenzo Cannone and Sebastian Negri with Italy’s back-row stocks in rude health for the tournament.
Sticking on the topic of the set-pieces, lock Federico Ruzza is another key cog in Italy’s success with the second-rower winning more lineouts than any other in the Six Nations last year. He won 12 more than any other player and weighed in with two steals. Add his ridiculous work-rate, Ruzza is crucial for the Azzurri along with fellow locks Dino Lamb and Niccolo Cannone.
