Italy has a new look, but will they be able to grab victory?

Being a rookie is never easy, but that’s the role Gonzalo Quesada will play in this year’s Six Nations.

The Argentine is no stranger to European rugby, having previously worked as an assistant coach in France and held managerial roles at Racing, Biarritz and most recently Stade Français. He was also familiar with the Six Nations and often spoke of his childhood watching international competitions from his home in Buenos Aires.

But he could face his biggest test this week as he takes charge of Italy’s opening game against England.

The multilingual 49-year-old ex-Puma prides himself on building a team that flows between an overwhelmingly forward-oriented game and the style of the Silkybacks.

Italy pays homage

But the reality is this. Despite some success under former head coach Kieran Crowley, who some say was sacked too soon, including a stunning victory over Cardiff against Wales two years ago, Italy are far from being a winning machine. .

“We will continue to have great respect for what has been done,” Quesada said. “The important thing now is for the team to be as prepared as possible for the first game.

“I have a clear project in my head of what I want to do and where I want to go with this team, but it’s not really my plan. It’s about defining the identity I want.

“Feelings are really important. [to Italians], especially when talking about rugby. He has played against Italy, played against Italian players, and even coached other retired players in the past.

“Maybe we can go back to those roots and use that as a basis for playing the roles we want to play.”

game heads

Italy boasts talented players such as center Tommaso Menoncello, forward Seb Negri and captain Michele Lamaro. They have laid the foundations with former coach Conor O’Shea, who was key to the development of regional academies across the country, and Crawley, who bled generations of new players, but now they have The pressure is on to grow into a team like that. You can compete for victory throughout the tournament.

Benetton, the club side where most of the Azzurri players play, are second in the United Rugby Championship and the bond between like-minded people will be key to Italy’s success.

“We are thinking about the whole tournament, but our minds are on the first match against England,” Quesada added.

“But it is true, especially for me, that I have to expect a little more.

“We welcome the third team in the first leg of the World Cup, then fly to Dublin to play Ireland and then Lille to face France. We know the first step is to perform at home, so , it will be an interesting challenge for the team.

“But we will have to change teams to play against other top teams. We are aware that we are the youngest and most uncapped team. We have a community, and I hope we can push the team to play at their best to beat us.”