The Italian rugby team has gone through a lot of ups and downs. At the moment it looks like they are going in the right direction. So do Italy have a good rugby team?
Does Italy have a good rugby team? Italy do have a good international rugby team at the moment. They have beaten Australia and Wales over the last 18 months and have some phenomenal players.
The Italian rugby team has gone through some difficult times in the past. They have certainly not always had a good rugby team, but at the moment I believe they do have a good team. There are a few reasons why Italian rugby is in a good position at the moment.
If you look at the team’s recent performances, combined with some of the star players they have on the roster, you would certainly say that Italy has a good rugby team.
Who have Italy beaten in rugby recently?
One of the main reasons why you would say that Italy has a good rugby team at the moment is because they have had some impressive victories over the last 18 months. Italian rugby went more than five years without beating a team that is a Tier 1 international rugby team.
They changed that in the Six Nations in 2022 in the final game. In the last few minutes of the game, Ange Capuozzo broke through the Welsh defence and found Edoardo Padovani who scored the winner in Cardiff. It was a massive result for Italy who had struggled in the Six Nations before then.
The Italian line up for their most recent Six Nations game against Wales
They had not won in the Six Nations since beating Scotland at Murrayfield in 2015. It meant Italy went into the 2022 Autumn Internationals with a lot of momentum. They recorded their first-ever test victory over Australia, having lost to the Wallabies 18 times in a row previous to that.
It was another massive result for a young Italian side. Italy also had a massive win over Samoa in those same autumn internationals, with the 49-17 result being Italy’s biggest-ever victory over Samoa. Italy’s results show they look like they are moving in the right direction.
Who are Italy’s best rugby players?
Italy have a very good squad at the moment with some excellent players. Guys like Ange Capuozzo, Michele Lamaro and Paolo Garbisi all excelled internationally as well as with their clubs.
Capuozzo is really the start of this young Italian team. The 23-year-old exploded onto the international scene when he set up Italy’s winner in the final game of the Six Nations last year. His incredibly fast feet and brilliant try-scoring earned him a move to Toulouse in 2022 where he has impressed already.
The young team is led by a young captain, Michele Lamaro. The 24-year-old flanker made his Italian debut in 2020 and was named as the team’s captain just a year after making his debut. His work over the ball is phenomenal and he is a passionate leader of this young Italian team. He has done excellently in replacing Sergio Parisse as Italian captain.
Paolo Garbisi is one of the youngest members of the Italian squad at just 22 years old. But in his limited time with the national team, he looks like the fly-half for Italy for the next decade. He made his Italian debut at just 20 years old and kicked the winner against Wales in that Six Nations victory in 2022.
Garbisi impressed as a youngster with Benetton that he earnt a move to Montpellier. He was the starting fly-half for Montpellier when they won the Top 14 in 2022. He impressed the coaches so much that he became the team’s starter ahead of Springbok World Cup-winning fly-half Handre Pollard.
There are also guys like Tomasso Allan, Luca Morisi and Danilo Fischetti who are playing their club rugby outside of Italy thanks to some brilliant performances. Italy have a very good squad which should only get better in the next few years.
Has Italy rugby ever beaten England?
Italy has never beaten England in rugby. The two nations have met 30 times in total and England have won all 30 of those games. England have had a lot of international rugby success, whereas Italy have never really been on the same level as the English side. The two teams have also never drawn a game despite playing against each other so much.
They have gotten close on a couple of occasions. In 2008 and 2012, England beat Italy by just four points on both of those occasions. In 2008, England got off to a very fast start with a pair of tries in the first 15 minutes. But Italy came back into the game late and made it a one-score game with four minutes remaining.
The Simon Picone try was not enough for Italy to win as England held on for the final four minutes. The two teams met in Rome again four years later. It was actually Italy who got off to the better start. Italy had the lead at halftime, going into the half with a 12-6 lead.
But a Charlie Hodgson try in the second half as well as some good kicks from Owen Farrell helped England to pull out a four-point lead. Italy failed to score in the final half an hour and England held on for the victory.
England vs Italy 2023
In 2023, England played against Italy at Twickenham, with both teams coming off a loss in the first round of the Six Nations.
England got off to a very good attacking start as they scored three tries before Italy were able to get onto the scoresheet. Jack Willis, Ollie Chessum and Jamie George all scored tries in the first half, with Italy unable to score in that first half, also losing Lorenzo Cannone for ten minutes.
Italy did score two tries in the second half, but England replied with two tries of their own. The game finished 31-14 to England.