Italy

[Deano]

I agree I would like to see Canale back on the wing. He used to play here for Italy before and I think Masi can then play central. With Bortolussi now out, Galon can play at 15 as he has a decent kicking game on him.

 

[danit]

just back form Rome where I enjoyed at the Flaminio the disappointng loss to England last sunday (too many mistakes by the Italian side, a horrible touchline), not a bad game from Italy for the rest, expecially the 2nd half

due to Robertson and Bortolussi injuries NM called in the squad Nitoglia and Buso for the next game in Cardiff

Bortolami recovered form injury so he's in too

is Buso performing well right now? he is being tipped to replace Bortolussi who has fractured his shoulder in training [/b]

Buso is performing very well in his italian club but I don't think he will replace Bortolussi (at least not from the beginning I guess)

Mallet has some options in the backs
9 Picone
10 Masi /Marcato
11 Sgarbi / Nitoglia
12 Bergamasco Mi. / Masi
13 Canale / Galon / Patrizio
14 Nitoglia / Canale
15 Galon / Marcato / Buso

the point is: a kicker is absolutely needed

so if Masi will stay at 10, Marcato (or Buso) have to play at 15

if Marcato will play at 10, Galon can play at 15 and Masi at center (so Canale should move at the winger)

Italy cannot play with Masi at fh and Galon at fb, there's no kicker at all...

Also, I don't get to see Italian club rugby, but how good is that young lad that replaced Masi at fly-half against England? [/b]

Marcato is quite talented but often struggled when under pressure so I was surpised last sunday, he enterd in a hot final but kicked and passed pretty well

btw not a player for the international level in my opinion (but Mallet knows, not me... )

 

[samoa77]

however masi is quite good at FH,he just needs to learn to kick...today it is so important for a fly half to be a good kicker...come on italy!

 

[Nidhogg]

Marcato is quite talented but often struggled when under pressure so I was surpised last sunday, he enterd in a hot final but kicked and passed pretty well

btw not a player for the international level in my opinion (but Mallet knows, not me... rolleyes.gif )[/b]

Meh, anything to get Masi playing in a position he actually knows.

 

[ct5845]

Been really impressed with Italy so far, deserve at least 4th place in terms of rugby so far. Wales is a massive game, if you manage to beat them it could signal a speed up of progress, and it would defintely give you the impotace to go and beat scotland. Forza Italia!

 

[Camberabero]

The Italian team came back from Wales to Italy with broken bones and broken heads too.
Some player lost confidence in Mallet's work. They can't understand why he insists with Masi at fly-half. Marcato showed his potential but the coach wants to keep Masi as 10. The forwards are upsetted because they worked hard trying to keep possession and running the ball so far in this tournament, but the backs are not able to finish the job scoring points.
Italy is a team without killer instinct.

It's an ugly situation to deal with.
Mallet is already sick and tired of italian rugby (he's thinking about leaving the FIR to transfer to Biarriz Olympique as the rumors says).
He has his reasons (about federation and clubs) but he is also guilty (about his XV squad in 6N).
Now is going to prepare Italy to travel to Paris and lose another match.
Then he will try to avoid Wooden Spoon against Scotland, but it will be very very hard. The Scots proved against Ireland they're better then Italy in many things (like lineouts, tactical kicking, discipline and they have a 100% kicker).

 

[danit]

Some player lost confidence in Mallet's work. They can't understand why he insists with Masi at fly-half. Marcato showed his potential but the coach wants to keep Masi as 10.[/b]

NM said: Masi at fh for at least 3 games, and that was it

now we (and so he) can say: definitely a failed experiment

Mallet is already sick and tired of italian rugby (he's thinking about leaving the FIR to transfer to Biarriz Olympique as the rumors says). [/b]

in fact rumors say "Bayonne" and I guess they are complete bullshit

we can't throw away his job after two and a half good games and a complete scrappy 40 minutes, we gotta wait for him to really know and understand, give him his time

I'm sure we gonna see some major changes in Paris

 

[Tamarro]

ma a stò topic siamo tutti italiani e parliamo inglese?
io nn so molto l'inglese quindi parlo italiano

l'ultima partita dell'italia mi ha molto deluso, però contro la francia secondo me abbiamo tutte le carte in regola per vincere, loro hanno perso contro l'inghilterra 24-13, noi 23-19
abbiamo buone possibilità, però dobbiamo riprenderci dallo shock del galles

 

[Camberabero]

Danit you're right it was Bayonne, but it's not a complete bulshit. That Club contacted NM in july 2007 but he signed for Italy after the RWC.

Of course we must wait till the end of the season before giving a final judment to Mallet's work.
But till now (only 3 matches) he setted up a dramatic doomed experiment (Masi 10) and a damage limitation defensive game and a very poor attacking game options.

He's a guru, i'm sure, but he started his italian challenge with the wrong foot.

 

[danit]

Danit you're right it was Bayonne, but it's not a complete bulshit. That Club contacted NM in july 2007 but he signed for Italy after the RWC.[/b]

no doubt Bayonne contacted NM last summer, so did WRU and many clubs, but there's no chanche Mallet is really thinking to leave Italy

it's a huge challenge for him, he committed to that and he's not gonna leave it

I agree he made some mistakes so far but I would be worried if it hadn't happened, only starting from errors he can improve the italian game and players quality

 

[Deano]

I hope Mallet stays. Hes made mistakes, but also because he has tried to make the rugby better. However Masi was a big mistake for sure. Esp. in the last game where Masi could have been put on the wing or in the centre where we were lacking players.

Hopefully we see this in the next game:

Lo Cicero
Festuccia
Castrogiovanni
Dellape
Bortolami
Sole
Bergamasco
Parisse

Picone
Marcato
Nitoglia?/Patrizio
Masi
Bergamasco
Sgarbi
Canale

 

[Tamarro]

we can defeat france?

 

[Camberabero]

No we can't....

I really hope to see again Ongaro as hooker. Ghiraldini and Festuccia are not fit.
Marcato should play at FH without pressure, Masi at 13 and Buso fullback.

About Nick Mallet, I belive he knows we have few chances to avoid wooden spoon, but he well knows that we're so proud and committed to achieve this consolation goal.

I belive he could be a great Director of Rugby for FIR. He's really capable to develop and improve the entire italian rugby movement.

I really hope to see us victorious v Scotland.

 

[David Gilmour]

I really hope to see us victorious v Scotland.
[/b]

maybe vs france

 

[Camberabero]

no v France....we have no chances..

I don't want that we take the wooden spoon...the match which matters me it's against Scotland !!!

Our goal is always winning ONLY ONE GAME.

 

[stormmaster1]

I think Mallett's plan has been to build Italy's attacking game whilst keeping all the good work done previously in th pack, set piece and organsiation. That's why he wanted a runner at fly half, and whilke it ultimately failed, Italy have played some of their best attacking rugby in the last 3 matches.

 

[danit]

the squad for the nex two games (quite surprising...):

Kaine Paul ROBERTSON (Viadana, wing)
Alberto SGARBI (Treviso, center / wing)
Mirco BERGAMASCO (Stade Francais, center)
Gonzalo CANALE (Clermont-Auvergne, center)
Enrico PATRIZIO (Petrarca Padova, center)
Andrea MASI (Biarritz Olympique, center)
Alessio GALANTE (Gran Parma, center / utility back)
Ezio GALON (Overmach Parma, center / utility back)

Andrea MARCATO (Treviso, flyhalf)
Simon PICONE (Treviso, scrumhalf)
Pietro TRAVAGLI (Overmach Parma, scrumhalf)

Martin CASTROGIOVANNI (Leicester Tigers, prop)
Andrea LO CICERO (Racing Metro Paris, prop)
Carlos NIETO (Gloucester RFC, prop)
Salvatore PERUGINI (Stade Toulousain, prop)
Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Calvisano, hooker)
Fabio ONGARO (Saracens, hooker)
Marco BORTOLAMI (Gloucester RFC, lock)
Jacobus ERASMUS (Viadana, backrow)
Josh SOLE (Viadana, backrow)
Alessandro ZANNI (Calvisano, backrow)
Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais, no. 8) - capitano

waiting for the Carlo Del Fava and Mauro Bergamasco disciplinary committee, they're actually out... only Bortolami is a real lock (even if Sole and expecially Erasmus often played lock)

Dellapè out, Festuccia out, Ongaro in (how did he play lately with Saracens?), Erasmus in, he's in excellent form and has a strog offensive attitude

 

[Tamarro]

ooohhh!!! ongaro is come back!!!!

 

[Deano]

Just a little confused, but he has only one lock... so I suppose Sole will play there, but that also means only 3 players for the backrow so no reserve?

I assume he may go something like:

1. Lo Cicero
2. Ongaro
3. Castrogiovanni
4. Sole
5. Bortolami
6. Erasmus
7. Zanni
8. Parisse

9. Picone
10. Marcato
11. Galon
12. Mi. Bergamasco
13. Masi
14. Robertson
15. Canale

16. Ghiraldini
17. Perugini
18. Nieto
19. Travagli
20. Galante
21. Sgarbi
22. Patrizio

 

[JovialJim]

Penso che gli italiani il bisogno giusto di tenere a tentare di migliorare per ogni 6N. Questo intendeva essere sempre anche presto nei Mazzuoli regna per qualunque miglioramento per mostrare. Il tempo dirà. È un allenatore buono. Il gioco francese sarà difficile come il francese vorrà mostrare che il loro gioco di Inghilterra è che non riguardano. Ma credo che gli italiani batteranno lo scozzese ancora quest'anno.

Migliore di fortuna a lei.

P. Spero che questo traduce OK.