1
Italy's Aura Muzzo: 'We are a team that wants to play with continuity'
By Jeremy Inson
Aura Muzzo is having a moment right now and her plan is to extend it to when the Rugby World Cup kicks off in August.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Italy wing scored four tries in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, the most she’s ever scored, and earned a place in the Team of the Championship.
Then, once Muzzo was back with her club side Villorba, she scored a try to help them to a third Elite Serie A Femminile title with a 15-5 victory over Valsugana.
Not bad for a player who came late to the sport after 13 years of gymnastics, but who took to rugby immediately, enjoying the physical contact that the parallel bars and pommel horses didn’t provide.
“Certainly, it is my best try total from a Six Nations, but we’ve derived happiness from other Six Nations, notably 2019 when we finished second,” Muzzo told RugbyPass.
“I’m having a good run, though there have been times when I wasn’t offering the team my best level, or one I could always guarantee. Now, I’ve reached a level I can’t accept slipping from.”
At 28, Muzzo’s late blossoming shows the benefit of working with a coach who understands the nuances of her position.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fabio Roselli was a surprise appointment when he took over from Giovanni Raineri, who had led the Azzurre since December 2022 and guided them to this year’s World Cup.
Roselli has worked across Italy’s men’s and women’s youth and sevens squads, and in his playing days he featured on the wing for the Azzurri, notably at the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
Muzzo, who hails from San Vito al Tagliamento in Italy’s north-east, previously played for Italy’s sevens team and featured in two World Cups.
Having won her first 15s cap in 2017, she was then among the initial wave of Italian players to receive a central contract from the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR).
ADVERTISEMENT
Roselli had a tough start to life as Italy coach. They lost to defending champions England in round one and a week later, suffered a thumping 54-12 defeat at home to Ireland.
“He wanted us to be more precise and not accept the fact that we might make mistakes and that every choice has an outcome,” Muzzo said.
“In the loss to Ireland, we were unable to handle their kicker, with her very precise kicks. After that weekend, we worked on our reception and how we controlled that part of the match.
“We are a team that wants to play with continuity, and when we create that continuity, we become a team that plays quickly.”
While Roselli only had a few days to work with his players before the Six Nations kicked off, once he began to build momentum, it paid off hugely.
The rest week allowed Italy’s squad to regroup. Their attacking flair was lit and along with fellow wing Alyssa D’Inca, and fullback Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi, the back three were all twinkle toes, rapier-like thrusts, and deft offloads to players running at pace.
Italy’s work paid off with a 25-17 win against Scotland at The Hive in round three. Muzzo scored twice, while D’Inca and Ostuni Minuzzi grabbed a try each in the latest closely fought match against Bryan Easson’s charges.
“Her performances during the Six Nations have greatly increased her self-esteem and awareness of what level she is capable of reaching,” Roselli told RugbyPass. “She still has a good margin for improvement, and I am sure she will continue to improve.
“It is not just about wearing the blue jersey, but how you can honour it, and Aura was very good at doing so with her performances and her ability to finish off her teammates’ work with a try.”
There was another try, but frustration in round four as Italy let slip a 21-12 lead against France in Parma, with Les Bleues fighting back late on to win 34-12.
However, they ended on a high by taking out their frustrations on Wales with six tries in a 44-12 victory. Muzzo had the last word when she came off her wing, popped up on Veronica Madia’s shoulder and found a hole in the Welsh defence to score.
Her other three tries were far simpler, with the 28-year-old rounding off sharp work in the Italy three-quarter line.
“Any try we score is a result of the team’s work, and while it is great to score tries it is a reflection of everything the team has done to let me score,” Muzzo said.
“We’re still a bit annoyed with the France match because we had the match in our hands. We could have controlled it better after the first half, and they are the type of team that are good enough to capitalise on them.
“We were pleased with the way we improved over the tournament. We gained a lot of confidence in respect of what we wanted to do. Our identity gave us confidence.
“Overall, and with the way we finished, I would say it is a good starting point in our preparations for the World Cup, especially when you consider how close the World Cup is.”
The challenge now is for Muzzo to take that form into her third World Cup. She was part of the Italy squad in 2017, but didn’t feature in any of the matches.
Despite that, she has “great memories” of “a really useful month,” and an experience that allowed her to watch and learn from the rest of the squad.
“A World Cup is one of the biggest targets for any athlete in any sport. This summer will feel really long, when in practice it is already May, and the middle of August will come quickly.”
New tickets for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 are now available, with prices starting at £10 for adults and £5 for children. Buy now!
