Genoa – “Italy’s progress can be measured if they manage to obtain less severe scores”. “It will be important for them to play a good forty minutes”. “It is normal to assume yet another wooden spoon and those who think the opposite are mad ”. “Despite what Ben Morel (at the head of the committee that governs the tournament) says, there is the possibility of a revision of the rules and the arrival of relegation”.
Harsh judgments and merciless observations, in blue tint, of the British press on the eve of the 6 Nations 2022 which starts on Saturday in the name of a balance that can be broken by those who can boast some advantage: both France and Ireland, in November which brought rugby back to the top northern hemisphere, have reserved a very black parenthesis for the All Blacks. Mourning brought them, first to Dublin, then to Paris, subjected to the meat grinder of the greens, to the sublime intuitions of the Bleus, summarized in that counterattack from his own goal area by Roman Ntamack, entered the gallery of high school numbers. Ntamack, the Scottish Finn Russell, the English Marcus Smith are the new genes of the lamp: the imagination can return to power, weighing more than a 920 kg fray ..
Who of the Tournament knows history and glory, spirit and moods, traditions and places, makes predictions with the attention due to a war campaign, drawing on deep and precious precedents. A first example: Scotland’s ambitions (“We can win the Tournament” admitted coach Gregor Townsend), immediately pass through the oldest, most heartfelt match, the one that awards the Calcutta Cup: if England does not catch it – it would be the fourth time in six years – the path will immediately become difficult. Impervio after the fifth place last year. Each match is decisive in itself and for the path to come: Wales, reigning champion, holder of the last Grand Slam, knows very well that a dog day afternoon awaits them in Dublin.
For Italy, Sunday in Paris, there are the Bleus who feel the time that separates them from the World Cup is shortening: France 2023 is just over a year away (goal, to get to the end) and it is the right time to understand where the construction work of the coach Fabien Galthié has reached. The path of the blues is a minefield: after France, which tamed New Zealand, England which forced world champion South Africa to surrender and, later, Ireland which has the appearance and substance of a mobile fortress. The touchstone, in this sense, is Argentna, which casually disposed of Italy before being subjected to harsh punishment in Dublin.
Enterprise, miracle: the repertoire of words is limited when we end up talking about a team that hasn’t won for seven years (at home for nine), which has melted the longest chain of unhappiness (thirty-two losses in a row), which clashes with all the others by scoring physiognomy. At the Stade de France Kieran Crowley, the laconic New Zealander who took the place of the South African Franco Smith, will give space to a block of Treviso (he knows him thoroughly, having coached him for five seasons), guided by the inspirations of the young Paolo Garbisi, today at Montpellier but coming from the Venetian franchise. “A lot of attention on defense and discipline”, is the concise warning from Crowley who knows the statistics of the last few seasons: an average of between five and six goals conceded per game and at least fifteen kicks whistled against.
The first day on tv: Saturday, at 3.15 pm, Ireland-Wales and at 6 pm Scotland-England; Sunday, at 4 pm, France-Italy on Sky Sport 1, Sky Sport Arena and, in the clear, the match of Italy on Tv8.
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