'From now on we really want to start to be competitive'
The shock Guinness Six Nations victory over Wales has marked the beginning of a new chapter for Italy and proved that the Azzurri can hold their own at the top table of European rugby, according to captain Michele Lamaro. Question marks had been raised about Italy’s future in the championship following a run of 36 successive defeats stretching back to 2015.
However, they stunned defending champions Wales last weekend, winning 22-21 in Cardiff to collect their first-ever victory on Welsh soil. Italy clinched the win a minute from time when full-back Ange Capuozzo attacked from inside his own half and Edoardo Padovani claimed a try that Paolo Garbisi converted to spark wild scenes of celebration.
Lamaro, who plays his club rugby with Benetton in the United Rugby Championship, could hardly have anticipated captaining Italy to their next Six Nations win when he watched their previous victory – a 22-19 triumph over Scotland – at a friend’s house as a 16-year-old. However, he is now determined that the dark days are behind Italy and that he and head coach Kieran Crowley can help guide the national team to new heights.
“What we are trying to do is to create a positive process that allows us to be competitive in the game and obviously to be prepared before and after,” the 23-year-old flanker told the PA news agency. “We don’t want to get to the point again where we’re not competing and not having those results.
“From now on we really want to start to be competitive day by day, just by trusting our process. (The Wales result) is something that gives you confidence that you can be there, you can compete at this level, you can win a game in the last minute. We knew it but for us as a team, the result gives us a lot of confidence moving on.”
The next 18 months will be all about building towards the 2023 Rugby World Cup for Italy. “Everything is planned to get to the World Cup in the best place we can,” added Lamaro. “This Six Nations was meant to be our foundation so that we can build on that and the great work has been done.
“Moving on it will get easier to refocus and to think about our foundations and our basics. That is our standard and we don’t want to drop it. I’m so excited to work with this group because we are all young and we want to achieve the highest thing we can. That is something that makes me so proud of the group in general and of the family we are trying to build. I’m really happy to be their leader and to be on the front line with them all of the time.”
One memorable moment from their victory in Cardiff came when Wales wing Josh Adams handed over his player of the match medal to Capuozzo, who has caught the eye with his two-try debut against Scotland and his key late intervention in the Welsh capital. “That was a brilliant moment from him (Adams) and it shows how much respect there is between each other,” said Lamaro.
“Ange is a really good guy. Even after two matches like that he has been so calm and that is something you have to be happy about because a guy like that with such a talent, it’s difficult to stay calm and stay humble.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Chiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
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