Recent content by Italophile

Seems Ntamack won't be available v Italy because he wasn't officially released from the squad for last weekend's Toulouse match which would have seen out his ban.

Deckchairs, Titanic. Though Gatland didn't help himself with silly, stubborn selections. Leicester are said to be after Franco Smith to replace Cheika. Proven very, very good at club level, his two years coaching Italy left little mark.

Not sure you can blame the coach for such ridiculously butter-fingered handling that cost three tries in the first 15 minutes. They cut England to ribbons. Though Galthié would be well within his rights to kick Ramos from Twickers back to Toulouse for some of his braindead decision making.

Adult tickets from £5 upwards.

Ireland took the foot off, were sloppy. Scoreline flattered England. Same old problem: turn up for an hour, lose the plot. Italy architects of their own downfall in the first half. Didn't protect the ball, relentless very poor kicking. Better second half when they trusted themselves to play...

Shame about the idiotic shoulder to the head. That's him out for the next two. Of course they have options, they always do. Either Dupont to 10 or Penaud back on the wing, Ramos to 10, Bielle-Biarrey to FB. Probably more likely. Gatland getting roasted, rightly so, for his selections.

They do. Historically England have been very strong with Ireland not a long way behind. Yet the England U20 strength hasn't really fed into the England senior team.

Penaud hurts himself in training, misses opener v Wales. Fickou, Flament, Ollivon, Jelonch also missing. Shouldn't matter in the slightest.

They play at Stadio Olimpico basically because it's still Italy's showpiece stadium. Nowt to do with the geography of rugby support. Rugby in Italy is pretty much wholly based in the north. There is very very little professional rugby played south of, say, Bologna. I'm in Tuscany, 90 minutes...

The FIR wants two teams. The issue has always been that Zebre, unlike Benetton, has been under FIR's control. It was the only way, at the time, that they could get the second team up and running. There has been long-standing resentment that Zebre is an FIR project and a drain on FIR resources...

Squidge is a star. Sometimes pops up on the Blood and Mud rugby podcast, he's a mate of theirs, and is always spot on with analysis. Well worth a listen to the podcast, too, even if they tend to drift into self-indulgent waffle. Albeit entertaining. When they stick to rugby they know their stuff...

Personality clash with the coach as much as anything.

Sky Italia show all the internationals, a wee surprise given rugby hardly exists here outside the north. Italian commentators are biased but in the least offensive way. There's a joyful innocence. Back in the dark days, when Italy beat Scotland in Rome, they were in tears.

Most importantly, they will need to sell TV rights for an amount to off-set costs. To whom?

It was down to the director and/or vision mixer. Director calls the (camera) coverage he wants, vision mixer punches in that coverage. From the look of it, the vision mixer was having a shocker, punching in the wrong coverage.