Italy Six Nations Team

Italy became the most recent edition to the Six Nations championship when the tournament was expanded from five to six teams in 2000. After years spent knocking at the door of top level European competition the Italians took a massive stride forward by entering the Six Nations.

Italy’s achievements have been modest since joining the tournament, as the Azzuri have managed to win only six games in nine Championships.

Stats:

Six Nations titles: 0
Six Nations wins: 8
Highest Six Nations finish: 4th
Home ground: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Team colours: Light Blue

Strengths:

Italy’s greatest strength lies in its loose forwards. Since joining the Six Nations the Italian side has boasted some of the most mobile, skilled forwards in the tournament. Players like Mauro Bergamasco and Sergio Parisse have added both power and penetration to the Italian team’s game.

The Italians also have immense strength in their pack, and have used their lumbering forwards to great effect, with pushover tries proving to be one of their more reliable routes over the try-line. The Italians become fearsome adversaries when playing in front of their home crowd.

Weaknesses:

The Italian team’s biggest weakness lies in lack of depth. It is particularly weak in the back-line, where the absence of a player capable of directing operations and cutting apart opposition defences is keenly felt. The Italians regularly fallen victim to their Latin temperaments, resulting in frequent penalties for undisciplined play.

Six Nations History:

The Italians participated in their first Six Nations tournament in 2000. The Azzuri made an impressive debut in the tournament by beating reigning champions Scotland 34-20. However, this good start proved to be a false dawn for the Italians, as they went on to lose all their remaining games in the tournament.

During the following two years the Italians failed to win a single Six Nations game, which led to their participation in the event being brought into question. However, the tide began to turn in 2006 when the Italians put in a series of strong performances against the likes of England and France, and drew against Wales in their penultimate game.

During the 2007 season the Italian team put up its best performance to date in the Six Nations. The Italians lost the opening game before scoring an emphatic away win over Scotland at Murrayfield. The Italians then followed up their first away win by beating Wales by 3 points in Rome. Italy then lost the final game against Ireland, finishing 4th on the Six Nations log. Their achievements, however, provided a huge boost for the team and sport’s popularity and profile in Italy.