Italy have put forward another woeful effort in the Guinness Six Nations, enduring yet another poor campaign in 2022
The Azzurri had a great chance to end their 35-match losing streak against Scotland, and although they had opportunities in the first half to put the Scots under pressure, they failed to capitalise and allowed the visitors to storm into an insurmountable lead at the Stadio Olimpico.
Italy Continue To Taste Defeat At The Six Nations 2022 Fixtures
There was a bright spot for Kieran Crowley’s men as Ange Capuozzo emerged off the bench for his debut and scored two tries with brilliant surges for the line. The 22-year-old certainly made an impression and is a great hope for the future.
Two tries on his #GuinnessSixNations debut 💪
Remember the name, Ange Capuozzo 🇮🇹 #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/JmdGmSdfH5
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 13, 2022
However, in the short term Italy were still considered lambs to the slaughter, being backed at a massive 25/1 on the road in the Six Nations betting odds to defeat Wales in the final match of the campaign at the Principality Stadium. The Azzurri have a long way to go before they can prove that they are capable of competing with the leading sides in the Six Nations, and even their most spirited performances have not been enough. England, Ireland and France all crushed Crowley’s men, who have failed to do anything other than make up the numbers over the last seven years of the competition.
It prompts the question of whether Italy should temporarily drop out of the tournament to regroup and allow their players to develop in an environment where they are not being hammered by the leading outfits on a regular basis. The Azzurri are having to adapt their tactics due to their lack of talent compared to their rivals, and it has stymied the progression of their young players.
Time For Italy To Take A Break From The Competition?
A player such as Capuozzo could be a superstar in the second tier in the Rugby Europe International Championships. Italy would still face stern defences such as Georgia, who do have quality in their ranks, but far removed from the talent seen in the Six Nations. It is argued that playing against the best will improve Italy’s players, but it has not been the case over the last seven years. Sebastian Negri and Monty Ioane have not been able to take the next step forward in their development after bright starts to their careers.
Throwing their talent to the wolves in the future may not be the best of approaches. Stephen Varney has struggled in his starts at scrum-half, which would be expected of a 20-year-old against some of the best players at his position in the world. Callum Braley was forced to take the reins against Scotland and performed to a solid standard, scoring a clinical try.
Italy have a growing influx of fledgling players entering the fold at once. Paolo Garbisi has shown a great deal of talent at fly-half, but again the rigours of the standing of the tournament have weighed heavy on the 21-year-old. If he, along with Capuozzo, Varney, Federico Mori, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Niccolo Cannone and Michele Lamaro could gain confidence together as a group it might be in the best interests to end their Six Nations membership for now, and focus on building a talented team that could produce results in the future.