| Berbizier pledges Italian standards
will improve  Italian
coach Pierre Berbiz-ier was not making any predictions about his side’s
fortunes in the forthcoming Six Nations championship.
However the former French scrum-half who took over from John Kirwan after
the 2005 Six Nations last April pledged that his side would not rely wholly
on a forward power game-plan and would attempt to play 15-man rugby whenever
possible.
He said: “I will try to get Italia playing from 1-15 whenever I
can do so and I believe it will be the best way forward.”
After a promising opening performance against Ireland in Rome last year,
Italy failed to build any kind of momentum for the remainder of the championship.
Berbizier has therefore inherited a squad lacking the necessary sparkle
to close the gap in class between the other five nations but the man nicknamed
Le Patron could be just the one to add that special ingredient to the
Azzurri.
In addition to having a new coach Italy’s Six Nations campaign
will be boosted by the fact that the game’s popularity is at an
all-time high. With many of their top players also involved in European
club competition the overall standard of play is im-proving every month
but it is likely to be some time yet before Italy are serious Six Nations
championship contenders.
Having said that they avoided finishing bottom of the table in both 2003
and 2004 so the Azzurri are moving in the right direction and even in
losing all five matches in 2005 the performances were vastly improved
to those five years previously.
Berbizier — who won Grand Slams in 1981 and 1987 — has so
far masterminded victories over Argentina, Tonga and Fiji but the real
test of Italy’s progress will be measured by their performances
over the next few weeks in the Six Nations championship.
Much will depend on Berbiz-ier and his partnership with their young
captain Marco Bortolami in order to steer Italy up the international rankings.
The Narbonne clubman believes his side are developing a more adventurous
style under their French coach and is optimistic the Azzurri will soon
be ready to make an impact with their backs beginning to match their traditional
forward strength.
Bortolami said: “Pierre has tried to bring a French style of rugby
to the team. We are playing with more confidence in our quality and trying
to play what is in front of us.
“But within that we are trying find an Italian style and to build
a team which can compete in the Six Nations. We are looking for a balance
between forwards and backs. In rugby you need 15 good players. We know
our pack is very good but our backs are starting to play better as well.”
Italy have battled it out with Scotland to avoid bottom place and their
final round clash against Frank Hadden’s side on March 18 at the
Stadio Flaminio could prove decisive. Unless Berbizier’s side can
claim some other shock results before that date then it looks like another
struggle to avoid the wooden spoon for Italy.
However Ireland will also remember last year’s game in Rome when
the hosts put up a stubborn performance against Eddie O’Sullivan’s
team.
Bortolami said: “Our discipline has not always been good. Discipline
when you play international rugby is very important, especially against
the bigger teams. We need to be disciplined in our defence — you
can’t play international rugby without this. We are working hard
on this aspect and are improving.”
Twenty-five-year-old Bortolami who already holds 41 caps and believes
his side will give another good account of themselves. But like his coach
he refused to make any predictions of how many games Italy might win in
the forthcoming championship.
Ireland may be relieved to be playing the minnows of the tournament in
the opening game but it is by no means a forgone conclusion that O’Sullivan’s
men will have it all their own way.
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