June International Test: Canada vs. Italy (26/06/2016)

[TRF_heineken]

Venue: BMO Field
Time: 18:00 CAT (SA, GMT+2)​

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Italy were pretty hopeless against the US, a big step backwards after a very decent showing in Argentina. They couldn't break a tackle all game in the States and if they play that badly again Canada will have them. Potential for the best 9 & 10 combo Italy have ever had and some decent backs but the new generation of forwards are ordinary. The wait for an improved Italian side continues...

 

[AzaMatt]

Italy were pretty hopeless against the US, a big step backwards after a very decent showing in Argentina. They couldn't break a tackle all game in the States and if they play that badly again Canada will have them. Potential for the best 9 & 10 combo Italy have ever had and some decent backs but the new generation of forwards are ordinary. The wait for an improved Italian side continues...

is canna on the tour? he looked great in parts during the six nations.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Yeah, Canna looked good against Argentina but had no opportunity to do anything against the US as the whole team was so bad and seemed obsessed with kicking for touch. Tommy Allan seems half decent if he can get his penalty kicking improved but Italy look poor at fullback and centre, I don't think they are close to working out their replacements for Masi and Canale.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Italy in a dogfight here. They are awful, just awful - they are playing like a group of players who have spent all season getting hammered at Treviso and Zebre and are playing with no confidence or ambition. Connor O'Shea must be wondering what he has got himself in to.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Italy squeak it by 2 points and can take pretty much no positives from that match. I generally think the world rankings are pretty accurate in rugby (compared to the farce of the football ones) and on this evidence they don't lie. Italy are fast cementing their position at the level of tier two teams and the Pacific nations. Japan would tear them apart on the evidence of the past fortnight!

 

[Bee]

Italy does not belong in the World Cup. Sorry.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Italy does not belong in the World Cup. Sorry.

Considering Uruguay and Romania are in the World Cup, Italy deserve to be there, but the 6 Nations? Probably not. They haven't improved since they've been added to the comp and ruin it IMO. They lose every game, it's boring. Give Georgia a shot, or revert back to the 5 Nations, just get rid of Italy until they pick up their game.

 

[Bee]

I'm fine with that, but please get of them in the Euro cups, too...
Let teams try to qualify for Italian spots in all those tournaments.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

In fairness I don't think Italy have contributed less to the 6 Nations than Scotland in the years since Italy joined, except last year (when Scotland finally improved markedly and Italy regressed significantly). They are way too big a potential market for the sport to turn its back on but I think they need some assistance / advice in structuring their game and coaching their professional teams.

Rather than single out Italy, I'd have the wooden spoon (whoever that may be) play Georgia & Romania in some kind of mini-tournament spanning June & November with the winner entering the next years 6 Nations.