Italy are set to face England in the Six Nations this weekend in Rome, with this being viewed as the first real chance for the Azzurri to beat the English in their history.
Steve Borthwick and his side come into this fixture with serious pressure on them to secure a win following their consecutive defeats to Scotland and Ireland.
Meanwhile, the Italians have been encouraged by their Six Nations campaign to this point. They secured a win against Scotland in their opening game before pushing Ireland close in the second round, while fighting bravely against a French juggernaut in the third round.
Italy's most capped player, Sergio Parisse, is encouraged by their start to the competition and believes they can secure their first ever victory over the English. He explained to Planet Rugby the three areas in which Borthwick’s side can be got at.
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Parisse said: “Test rugby at this level is decided by three things, and it has always been decided by those three things. The set piece. The breakdown. And who can defend? When you look at Italy through that lens, the picture looks very different to the one the media are painting.
“Italy’s scrum is a weapon. Four penalties against South Africa in November tell you everything. That is not luck, and it is not one good day. That is a front row with the technical quality and the physicality to dismantle one of the best scrums in the world – Simone Ferrari and Danilo Fischetti are both world-class operators, and England will feel that on Saturday.
“I find it very interesting that England have gone with Jamie George ahead of their better scrummager.
“It tells you what England are worried about. They’re trying to shore up their lineout, and they know they’re facing a significant threat there. But four jumpers against two is a substantial difference in an 80-minute contest, and Italy will really look to push an advantage there.
“Tommy Freeman’s defensive positioning is a specific vulnerability. Freeman has a tendency to get narrow, which we saw against Ireland. He drifts infield. Italy know that. In the first and second phases, they will use [Tommaso] Menoncello in the channel closest to him to fix his eyeline, and then they will go around him. He is facing two of the best centres in the world, and he is doing it in a game where the margin for individual error is as small as any he will experience in his career.”
The most important thing to take from all this is that Italy under Gonzalo Quesada are a different outfit from the sides that Parisse was a part of as a player.
There is a belief the Azzurri can finally achieve this victory, but this stems from the hard work put in by the teams of the 2000s as Italy continue their evolution towards a side that could eventually win a Six Nations.
Parisse said: “For the first time that I can remember, England are under genuine pressure coming into this game. And that is not a small thing. The dynamic has always been the same. England don’t really talk about the Italy fixture. It exists in their schedule, and they address it, but the conversation has never been about whether they win.
“It has always been about the margin. How many? That has been the question England ask themselves before coming to Rome. And for the first time, that question has changed. This is the first time England genuinely do not want to talk about the Italian threat, because the Italian threat is real and they know it.”
Topics: Rugby, Rugby Union
Brendan McGilligan