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Italy’s men’s international rugby team have gone from perennial Six Nations strugglers to talk of one day winning the competition. In the not-too-distant past, they were almost certain to be awarded the wooden spoon for finishing bottom of the table behind England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In fact, throughout much of the late 2010s and the early 2020s, there was plenty of demand for Italy to be removed from the tournament, and a relegation and promotion system brought in to make up for their record 18 campaigns propping up the rest.
Francesco Palma, editor-in-chief at OnRugby.it and a contributor to Gazzeta dello Sport tells Ade Adedoyin how the arrival of Gonzalo Quesda as head coach in 2024, coupled with an exciting crop of young players, including Tommaso Menoncello, has changed the mentality of the side and its supporters.
Rugby Union Correspondent at the Times, Mark Palmer, explains why Italy’s impressive win over Scotland in the opening round of the 2026 Six Nations was not considered to be the huge upset it would have been five years ago and proves the side is heading in the right direction ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
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