Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada and captain Michele Lamaro aren’t getting ahead of themselves in the wake of thier first ever Rugby Union victory over England.
Its been quite the journey for Italian rugby. Just four years ago, there was a growing call for the Azzurri to be replaced by Georgia in the Six Nations due to their appalling record. They were on a 36-match losing streak in the legendary tournament when they finally snuck past Wales 22-21 in the 2022 edition.
Since then, they have begun to level the playing field with wins over Wales, Ireland and a memorable draw with France in 2024.
But Saturday’s 23-18 win over England in Rome arguably marks Italy’s greatest ever Six Nations triumph. They faced much adversity, as they were reduced to 14 men when 18-10 down in the second half.
Paolo Garbisi’s boot kept the hosts in touch, then they grabbed the lead through an incredible try from Leonardo Marin who capped off Tommaso Menoncello’s brilliant work on the wing.
“I am feeling amazing because it was a tough game,” Quesada told ITV.
“These are not nice games and not beautiful, but I think we totally deserve this win.
“To win today [Saturday], with expectations to win against an amazing England side, is such a big step in our growth.
“We have to keep our feet on the ground and not get too excited – we have to keep going, but it is a big day for Italian rugby today [Saturday].”
Captain Lamaro heaped praise on the gutsy effort, in particular the defensive tenacity in the final quarter that kept England scoreless for the final 26 minutes.
“We felt tension before the game as we were nervous,” added the talismanic captain.
“We were close the whole game. We fought together as always. We stuck together as a wall in defence.”
Italy travel to Cardiff for their final 2026 Six Nations clash against Wales. A third victory would mark their most successful Six Nations campaign since they joined in 2000.
