Kirwan instills quite confidence in Italian camp

To get 25% off a subscription to Rugby World, the world's best-selling rugby magazine, click here!

Rugby World's Gianluca Barca reports from the Italian camp on the quiet confidence of John Kirwan.

OVER the past few months, John Kirwan and Leicester Rutledge, his assistant, have been travelling up and down the length of Italy giving coaching seminars.

"We are trying to give everybody, especially the coaches involved with the youth teams, the same basics," says Kirwan, who took over the Italian job from Brad Johnstone at the end of the last Six Nations, after another wooden spoon.

"I hope that they go out and pass the message on. When a player reaches senior level he must already have excellent individual skills. Otherwise it is very difficult to make an international out of him. Strategy and game plan are very important in rugby now, but if your rate of winning tackles is just seven per cent, as for Italy against Australia in November, they are definitely not your priority."

With depressing stats like this, has Kirwan any chance of spreading the appeal of rugby in Italy?

The answer from a natural-born optimist like Kirwan has to be yes. Right from the start he's been talking up Italian rugby.

"Even in New Zealand," explains Kirwan, "when the union game got contaminated with the league one, there was a return to basics; a specific emphasis and training in defence had to be given to improve the players' performance. We talk about global rugby, but the individual skills are always the same and absolutely essential. Wrong options, for example, could be acceptable in attack if you are able to retain the ball. Even England do not always choose the right one, but by keeping possession other opportunities open up. Italy have to work hard and keep looking forward."

Since Kirwan was appointed Italy's coach, the Azzurri have played five Tests: they lost against New Zealand in June before convincingly beating small fry Spain (50-3) in September and squeezing a 25-17 victory against Romania in their two World Cup qualifying matches.

Then the November Tests came: true to character, Italy's heavy home defeats against Argentina and Australia have not made Kirwan any less positive.

"If I look at the last four Tests after the summer, I can see that there were encouraging signs: we showed good play against Spain and for 20 minutes we achieved our game plan against Romania, scoring 13 points. There was definitely a step back against the Pumas, where we forgot our training and our game seized up once we had to play catch-up rugby. That was a lesson we must use to grow.

"Against Australia I saw the spirit I want. The boys squandered a couple of try-scoring opportunities, but there was plenty of determination. That must be the basis for the Six Nations."

After 14 out of 15 defeats since joining the tournament, what can Italy reasonably expect this year? "I want a squad that is prepared to take risks and have fun," says Kirwan, who is married to an Italian and speaks the language fluently.

"I want a team that plays rugby because there is no point in being conservative. Results are important but they mustn't condition your game. Of course I hate losing, but if we play conservative rugby we are bound not to win anyway.

"Breaking our losing streak with one victory would be very, very important, but it mustn't became an obsession. I can already feel the pressure on us to win the opening match against Wales. This is something we mustn't think about. On paper Scotland are possibly our best chance but this is not my way of thinking: my goal is to draw out the soul of this team and see us being cheered off the field because of the quality of our efforts. This is the only way forward."

To do that Kirwan is backing the youngsters. Sergio Parisse, Italy's No 8 against New Zealand and Australia, is only 19; likewise Matteo Barbini, at outside-centre; and Marco Bortolami, who skippered the squad against the All Blacks in last summer's tour, is 22. Other hopes for the future are explosive prop Martin Castrogiovanni, 22, and full-back Mirco Bergamasco, who will be 20 this February, younger brother of Mauro, who is a Test veteran at 23.

"The average age of the team who played Australia was 23," says Kirwan. "This means we are working on a long-term project. Italian rugby needs time and confidence".

Let's hope Kirwan is given the time by the Italian union.

 

Related information

Stories

2003 Six Nations Index

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video