Italian Squad: Six Nations 2013.

[Big Ewis]

Fingers crossed for Italy this year.

yep...me too.
I know of course they're getting better slowly but regularly, but the progress doesn't really show from afar. There are matches like the Spoon match last year against Scotland, it was absolutely, absolutely horrendous. Both teams seriously looked like amateur teams. Completely, and literally.
Their attack is soooooo predictable, there's the kicking problem (apparently half-solved), the scrum's excellent of course, but there's just so much to do yet.
I don't know how many years it will take them to be able to score convincing, constructed tries consistently. Most of the tries I've seen from the Azzuri were ruck after ruck till the try line and a bunch of forwards jumping in for the score...
Where are all their athletes ?!!

Someone a stranger to rugby would imagine by stereotype they would have excellent play-making, passing and running game (thinking of soccer for e.g. or what have you)...their backs play flaaaaaaat.
It's unfortunate, I wish it could be different...

 

[psychic duck]

yep...me too.
I know of course they're getting better slowly but regularly, but the progress doesn't really show from afar. There are matches like the Spoon match last year against Scotland, it was absolutely, absolutely horrendous. Both teams seriously looked like amateur teams. Completely, and literally.
Their attack is soooooo predictable, there's the kicking problem (apparently half-solved), the scrum's excellent of course, but there's just so much to do yet.
I don't know how many years it will take them to be able to score convincing, constructed tries consistently. Most of the tries I've seen from the Azzuri were ruck after ruck till the try line and a bunch of forwards jumping in for the score...
Where are all their athletes ?!!

Someone a stranger to rugby would imagine by stereotype they would have excellent play-making, passing and running game (thinking of soccer for e.g. or what have you)...their backs play flaaaaaaat.
It's unfortunate, I wish it could be different...

Italy has had a reputation for having one of the dullest national football teams in the past.

So actually by stereotype, it makes sense that their rugby team is pretty negative too.

 

[Big Ewis]

False !
Italians are a fairly athletic people !

No no, you're actually right. Not that I could possibly give a flying fk about the sport, but they aren't as flamboyant recently...
But they're better at soccer than at rugby though !^_^

 

[Nielsch]

I was going through the 30 men Italian squad and have some questions regarding some of the players and their eligibilty. 19 of the 30 players were born in Italy, so they qualify for being Italian. Two players (Parisse, Burton) qualify through Italian parents. One player (McLean) qualifies through Italian grandparents. One players (Geldenhuys) qualifies through residency.

Now 7 players were born outside Italy but I couldn't find out whether they qualify through their parents, grandparents or residency. Can anyone help me with this regarding:

- Castrogiovanni
- Furno
- Barbieri
- Vosawai
- Botes
- Orquera
- Garcia

Thanks very much!

 

[Nielsch]

I don't know how many years it will take them to be able to score convincing, constructed tries consistently. Most of the tries I've seen from the Azzuri were ruck after ruck till the try line and a bunch of forwards jumping in for the score...
Where are all their athletes ?!!

Someone a stranger to rugby would imagine by stereotype they would have excellent play-making, passing and running game (thinking of soccer for e.g. or what have you)...their backs play flaaaaaaat.
It's unfortunate, I wish it could be different...

After yesterday, this post is so funny!

 

[psychic duck]

I was going through the 30 men Italian squad and have some questions regarding some of the players and their eligibilty. 19 of the 30 players were born in Italy, so they qualify for being Italian. Two players (Parisse, Burton) qualify through Italian parents. One player (McLean) qualifies through Italian grandparents. One players (Geldenhuys) qualifies through residency.

Now 7 players were born outside Italy but I couldn't find out whether they qualify through their parents, grandparents or residency. Can anyone help me with this regarding:

- Castrogiovanni
- Furno
- Barbieri
- Vosawai
- Botes
- Orquera
- Garcia

Thanks very much!

I found out about all these players:

Castrogiovanni - grandparents
Barbieri - parents
Vosawai - residency
Botes - residency
Orquera - parents

I couldn't find anything on these two though:
Furno
Garcia

However Furno has lived nearly his entire life in Italy, and grew up there. And by the sounds of his name his parents are probably Italian. As for Garcia, it is likely either grandparents or parents.

 

[Big Ewis]

After yesterday, this post is so funny!

Absolutely, I know. Because listen, when they got us in 2011 they played one grind-out, super tough match and the wrong France showed up, totally underestimated them etc they only won 1 match that year...at the RWC, they looked very mediocre again.
Last year (2012 6N), they took a serious beating in France (to forget about 2011), almost got England but England was BAD that game - and won just one match once again (got CRUSHED by Ireland and Wales infamously...), and that last Wooden Spoon match was the most horrible (literally, the SINGLE most), horrible piece of rugby I've ever seen in my life, both teams played miserable, miserable rugby.

So all that accounts for smt in my mind, doesn't it ? If you're a sensible person; and hearing ppl go "oh, they've improved" sounded like a cliché template ppl just repeated for the fukk of it...
and when ppl said "be careful now, don't underestimate them, they're getting better you know" it was all politeness and etiquette but we really knew our team was going to mess them up good.

And then their D was excellent, absolutely excellent against NZ. They'd survived Tonga earlier, and then ended the tour with an almost victory or tie on Australia.
I thought it was just great defense and forward work, a bit of a fluke, or specifically one solid November tour.

Now, I truly respect Italy, I have never seen them play like this on attack - EVER. They reminded me of France on their day, scrum half moving the ball left and right out of the ruck, backs spacing out on the field, threatening, quick execution...etc...smooth passing.

Yes Nielsch, I realize my post is now officially obsolete.

 

[danit]

I found out about all these players:

Castrogiovanni - grandparents
Barbieri - parents
Vosawai - residency
Botes - residency
Orquera - parents

I couldn't find anything on these two though:
Furno
Garcia

However Furno has lived nearly his entire life in Italy, and grew up there. And by the sounds of his name his parents are probably Italian. As for Garcia, it is likely either grandparents or parents.

Garcia - grandparents

correct, Furno's parents are both italian, he was born in Australia but was back at kid age to Italy, where he was formed as a rugby player in Benevento, I'd say, from a rugby perspective, that he was born "accidentaly" abroad

the only player with mixed formation is Gonzalo Canale, born in Argentina from both italian parents (rugby players family), back to Italy at the age of 2, back again to Argentina at 14, back definitely to Italy at 18

 

[djwizard84]

So what do you really want to say, is that in rugby even if you have a third passport you are able to play for any nation just fulfilling some of this tree family rule?

 

[danit]

So what do you really want to say, is that in rugby even if you have a third passport you are able to play for any nation just fulfilling some of this tree family rule?

nope, that's the rule and there's nothing to add to it (as it stands)

I just want to stress that there's no relevance in the place you were born, or even in citizenship (if it doesn't matter to the player... and in some of the above cases, it does, i.e. Parisse)

to me, the only important thing is your rugby formation, where your skill have been discovered and trained: that's the sense of a "national rugby school"

 

[Aedaphon]

nope, that's the rule and there's nothing to add to it (as it stands)

I just want to stress that there's no relevance in the place you were born, or even in citizenship (if it doesn't matter to the player... and in some of the above cases, it does, i.e. Parisse)

to me, the only important thing is your rugby formation, where your skill have been discovered and trained: that's the sense of a "national rugby school"

I completely disagree... As a triple citizen, I'd be honoured to play for any of the countries I would technically 'qualify' for, despite the fact I was born and raised in England (despite 0 English heritage).

Here I come Belgian international rugby team :lol:

 

[Big Ewis]

^ nah you're wrong on this one man, honestly.
In fact I personally believe it's cheating, but it's just the current way of the world.

In a slightly different scenario, Samoans (for e.g.) all play in French/English clubs. Then they get back together as an int'l side, all having played with the best in Europe, with all the equipment and professional world class training the very best are supplied with; grouped up as a side full of mercenaries really and play as a unit with everything they've learned from abroad.
Of course they would hate to admit all this as true and factual as it is, but we'll just call it "Samoan Rugby"...when technically it isn't. Anyways...

I'm not sure about the actual status of CastroG, Orquera or say Parisse; but if they were trained in Argentina entirely, and then simply picked and brought to Italy and wear blue then that is obviously cheating.
Now, if they just happen to be born in Argentina, started playing a little but then really became pros in Italy then they absolutely qualify, since they're a product of the country they can play as such, no problemo...

Like the whole Zidane thing: arabs from any country will tell you Zidane's an arab. Sure he's got Algerian/Kabil heritage, and still has a typically Algerian hot-blooded temperament and all that...but he was born in France, trained in France. So obviously yes, Zinedine Zidane is (was) of course a French Pro footballer...
As little as I care about the sport itself btw...

 

[Thingimubob]

Didn't wanna make a whole new thread so I thought I'd post it here, as I don't think anyone else has yet:

Parisse in danger of missing the Wales match, and probably the rest of the 6 Nations, due to being sent off playing for Stade Francais Apparently it was for 'insulting the match referee'. If he's found guilty he faces at least a 6 week ban, though he apologized to the fans on twitter but said he never actually insulted the referee.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/21492750

 

[Tony Manx]

Didn't wanna make a whole new thread so I thought I'd post it here, as I don't think anyone else has yet:

Parisse in danger of missing the Wales match, and probably the rest of the 6 Nations, due to being sent off playing for Stade Francais Apparently it was for 'insulting the match referee'. If he's found guilty he faces at least a 6 week ban, though he apologized to the fans on twitter but said he never actually insulted the referee.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/21492750

See the Top 14 Day 18 thread........................

 

[Thingimubob]

See the Top 14 Day 18 thread........................

Awkward should really check out that thread more often. Cheers fella!

 

[Draggs]

Never liked Parisse. Dirty ******* off the ball.
Elbowed Warburton while he was going down straight in the face in 2011.
Gouging and all as well.