Wednesday, March 14,

Italy's New Pinups: Rugby Team

The ANNOTICO Report

You have to hand it to those Britishers, they are Consistent in putting the worst possible slant on anything Italian, so I have slightly edited the article to be a lot less superior, especially since Britain invented "hooliganism" and they are in the midst of their own scandals.

The Italian Rugby team, not only got it's first "away" victory (vs Scotland, 37-17 ) since being Admitted to the Six Nations Rugby Tournament in 2000, it followed up with an at home victory (vs Wales, 23-20 ). marking the first time the Rugby team has scored two victories in one tournament. The Azzurri will be playing Ireland on Saturday , on St Patrick's Day!!!!! But the game will be played in Rome.

I hope the Rome crowd helps the Irish to celebrate St Patrick's Day, by reminding them that while St Peter was born in Wales, he was the son of Roman parents, and his father was a Roman appointed as an Administrator for the Roman government.

Bad News: (1) Italy flanker Mauro Bergamasco will miss the Six Nations rugby match against Ireland. He has been banned for four weeks for punching Wales captain Stephen Jones.

Bad News (2) Italy will be without star centre Gonzalo Canale against Ireland. Canale has a thigh injury

Good News :Talismanic Paul O'Connell was ruled out for a month with the fractured thumb sustained against Scotland, giving Mick O'Driscoll a chance in the starting line-up.

Ireland believes that it can exploit the weaknesses in Italy's backline. And while Alessandro Troncon return gives Italy a certain stability, he has a lack of speed. Ireland thinks Italy not only has weaknesses down the 10 channel - there are other angles. (Whatever that means:)

Rugby was not previously able to compete with Soccer for Italian Interest, but Italian newspapers were ecstatic over Italy's second win, with headlines like, Fantastic Italy! La Stampa trumpeted. Bellissimo! Corriere della Sera said. Everyones gone mad for rugby. And the headline in La Repubblica ran: Rugby! What emotions!.

After eyeing four players the brothers Mirko and Mauro Bergamasco, Sergio Parisse and Andrea Scanavacca in James Bond-style dinner jackets, with broad smiles and gelled crinkly hair, one woman studying the picture over her morning cappuccino in a Rome cafi, said Goodness,Perhaps rugby is interesting after all.

Unlikely Band of Heroes Kick into Touch a Nations Football Misery

The London Times

Richard Owen in Rome

March 12, 2007

Disillusioned by football scandals and battered by economic woes and political instability, Italy yesterday discovered a new band of heroes to restore national pride its rugby internationals.

For the first time rugby, which has struggled for a place in the hearts of a football-mad nation, was on the front pages after Italys eleventh-hour 23-20 victory over Wales.

Companies sponsoring the Azzurri took out full-page advertisements glorifying the nations new pin-ups.

Edison opted for action shots from the pitch, but one clothing company dressed four players the brothers Mirko and Mauro Bergamasco, Sergio Parisse and Andrea Scanavacca in James Bond-style dinner jackets, with broad smiles and gelled crinkly hair.

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Goodness, said one woman studying the picture over her morning cappuccino in a Rome cafi. Perhaps rugby is interesting after all.

The win contrasts with the tarnished image of Italian football after match-fixing scandals and stadium violence. The death of a policeman in riots at Catania last month eclipsed Italys football World Cup victory last summer and led to drastic new anti-hooligan and crowd-control measures.

The win over Wales elated the growing number of rugby fans by suggesting that Italys 37-17 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield last month its first away win in the Six Nations was not a fluke. The time for honourable defeats is over, said Pierre Berbizier, the Italy coach and former French scrum half.

Fantastic Italy! La Stampa trumpeted. We did it again! We have become adults finally, gloriously. Bellissimo! Corriere della Sera said. Everyones gone mad for rugby. Our luck has changed at last. And the headline in La Repubblica ran: Rugby! What emotions!

The press reported the fury of Gareth Jenkins, the Wales coach, with Chris White, the English referee, for blowing the final whistle after the Welsh won a penalty at the very end of the game but put the ball into touch in the hope of creating a match-winning try.

But the emphasis was squarely on Italys achievement in securing two Six Nations wins in the same season for the first time since being admitted to the competition in 2000. Not a great match, but a fantastic one from the emotional point of view, Mr Berbizier said.

Italys progess is attributed to the Frenchman, but also to John Kirwan, the former All Blacks star, who brought on young talent before being replaced as coach two years ago. Many players have honed their skills at club level in Britain and France (the Bergamasco brothers play for Stade Frangais and Marco Bortolami, the Azzurri captain, for Gloucester).

International Rugby Board rules allow Italy to select foreign-born players if they have Italian ancestry, but three years ago Italy said that it would pick only three imigris per team in order to develop domestic talent.

Mr Berbizier said that he was hoping for a hat-trick when Italy face Ireland on Saturday, noting that in France we say that where there are two, there must be a third. But he cautioned against hubris, saying Italy still had some way to go.

We will know we have arrived when we are no longer astonished to win, Il Giornale said. At least we can face Ireland without fear, for a change.

There was some comfort for Wales in the widespread praise for the 8,000 Welsh fans who according to Tony Porcella, head of the residents and traders association in the Spanish Steps area behaved like gentlemen while in Rome, unlike football fans.

RUGBY IN ITALIAN:

‘Molla la gola!’ Let go of my throat

‘A me la palla, tonto!’ Pass me the ball, you dummy

‘Arbitro, mettiti gli occhiali!’ Put your specs on, ref

‘Vai vai vai!’ Go go go

Estremo full back

Tre quarti ala aperta destro right wing

Tre quarti ala chiusa sinistro left wing

Mediano d’apertura fly half

Mediano di mischia scrum half

Terza linea ala openside flanker

Tallonatore hooker