Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada warned his team needs to keep their feet on the ground after their resounding 73-6 victory over Namibia at the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek.
Italy’s dress rehearsal for their two-Test tour of South Africa ended in emphatic triumph but Quesada is all too aware the task facing them in Pretoria and Gqeberha will be very different against the back-to-back Rugby World Cup holders.
“No one in the group thinks we can relax after this victory. We know the value of South Africa but, as I said, the important thing was to show our value on the pitch,” Quesada said after Friday’s victory.
Their win — eight days before taking on the Springboks on Saturday — was achieved in style, though Quesada was more impressed with his team not conceding a try. “Good not to concede any tries. It was a goal we set ourselves at half-time. In attack I am very satisfied. We scored many tries with good timing.
“A year ago, in Samoa in similar conditions, we managed the game badly. This time, however, we did the work so that the difference could be seen on the pitch, and this is a growth of the team. I think it was a good match for the team.
“Before the match, I didn’t exaggerate when I said it could have been dangerous: the players worked well and got a good result. We were good in the drives, in the scrum. The only point I didn’t like was the discipline.”
Quesada’s team has, however, lacked consistency. In the European autumn, they got walloped by Argentina, edged past Georgia, before giving a decent account of themselves against the All Blacks.
This year’s Six Nations also produced a mixed bag, with a credible performance against Scotland before another famous win over Wales. However, they were humiliated by France in Rome, lost to England, before running Ireland close in their last game.
They have been inconsistent which, perhaps, explains why they are ranked 10th in World Rugby’s pecking order.
However, Italy won’t arrive in South Africa entirely dressed to the nines. “On the negative side, there is concern for the injuries to [Marco] Riccioni and [Leonardo] Marin. We will wait for news on them.”
Italy’s lack of depth was exposed in the Six Nations, after they copped a few injuries. They will, however, have pockets of resistance.
Tommaso Menoncello remains a danger man in midfield, as does Allesandro Garbisi at scrumhalf.
Simone Ferrari and Danilo Fischetti are front rankers boasting more than 50 caps, while the rest of the second rowers on tour are fairly inexperienced.
Zimbabwean-born Sebastian Negri is the most experienced backrower in the group. Star fullback/wing Ange Capuozzo is out of the tour with a broken leg after their shock defeat to Perpignan in Toulouse.
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