Italy, Innocenti: “The objective is to beat all the teams below us in the ranking and have a pool of 100 high-level players”

President Marzio Innocenti outlined an initial assessment during the press conference reviewing the international activity of the first months of 2024. During the event, the FIR president spoke together with the deputy vice-president Giorgio Morelli, the technical director Daniele Pacini and to the coaches of the 3 national teams – Gonzalo Quesada, Giovanni Raineri and Massimo Brunello – to take stock of the situation and identify the objectives for the future: “There are some things that we must keep in mind: a few months ago this team reached one of the most lows against New Zealand and France. That team, however, had just returned from 13 matches in which it had always lived up to its opponent, with an average age of 23-24 years, and the Federation has always believed in it. If that kick from Garbisi had gone in we would have been third, we must recognize that the coach is a person who is very capable of forging ahead: what he has achieved we could hope to achieve in a season or maybe two”.

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Innocenti on Italy’s objectives

“Great credit to Gonzalo and great credit to the federal structure which found in him the person who indicated the best way to achieve results” continued the president, who however invites everyone to keep their feet on the ground: “This beautiful moment on the field it must not make us forget that Italy often goes back like shrimps. One of the most important commitments that Gonzalo knows he has is to maintain the level. The strategic objective was to beat all the teams behind in the ranking, and having also beaten some of those in front indicates an even higher quality.”

The president continues with the same speech: “In the aftermath of the victory against Scotland I had the opportunity to hear many people from our world who said that against Wales it would have been little more than a formality: we must escape from this mentality, as a system, because beating Wales is always a legendary feat. It is clear that having won a match in such total control as in Cardiff had never happened before, and it is a real point of progress, but we must always remember that Italy can do this but also exactly the opposite, going back. This team has a chance to try to win the Six Nations. An almost impossible goal, but as far as I’m concerned this word shouldn’t exist. Of course, on the other hand we know that Italy can do this but also exactly the opposite, if we lose control and don’t keep our feet on the ground.”

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The results of the women’s Six Nations

The president then also reviewed the other national teams involved in their respective 2024 Six Nations, starting with the women’s team: “The women’s national team has always been the flagship of our Federation, because in the darkest moments there have always been their results. We are in a period of generation turnover, some girls have left after the World Cup, others are reaching the end of their careers, and the turnover always brings difficulties. However, the girls who are joining have great qualities, so as far as the women’s national team is concerned we are calm. Then came a historic victory against Ireland, so the balance is certainly positive.”

The results of the Under 20 Six Nations

“As far as the Under 20s are concerned – continued Innocenti – the Federation is always committed to training, so the Under 20 Six Nations and the category world championship have always been an exam for us. The goal is not to have 40-50 top-level players, but a hundred. The Under 20 national team has achieved some sensational feats this year too, as in France. We are extremely satisfied with a team that perhaps doesn’t have the strikers of the past but at an average level has given important responses. I was positively struck by the fact that when the boys from the bench come on the result doesn’t change and sometimes even improves. Even in this case it should not be forgotten that in the last match we demonstrated the limits that can affect Italian players: underestimating the commitment and considering a match won even before playing it. I hope that defeat was an important lesson in view of a great event like the World Cup. They are a bit like the vices of Italian rugby, but the boys are of great quality and on average.”

Innocenti on Italia A, Italia Emergenti and Italia Under 23

“Ultimately, this year’s Six Nations was definitely very satisfying, but I’m much more worried now than I was before. As long as you are in a situation where no one gives you much credit everything is easier, however when you achieve results everything is more difficult because you have to confirm yourself” continued Innocenti, who also spoke about the organization of the work of the second national teams, starting from Italia A who could return to the field in November: “We have a great challenge: finding the resources to be able to continue the work with the National A team, with the Emergenti and with the Under 23. They are fundamental teams for Gonzalo’s work, but they are very wasteful activities and at this moment the Federation must be very careful how it spends its money. I remind everyone that the national team that gives us results began to change its structure in September-October 2021 when after many years the National A team returned to the field, against Spain. In that team there were 8 players who then played for Wales in March: Capuozzo was captured on that occasion, but there were also Pettinelli, Nicotera, Marin, Lorenzo Cannone. Team Manager Giovanbattista Venditti is working to have a National A match during the November window, but if there is an opportunity we will certainly look for others.”

Innocenti on economic investments

The president concluded by speaking about the economic investments of the Federation and the revenues of the CVC fund: “We have not managed ordinary administration with extraordinary revenues. We have invested these extraordinary revenues, for example with the training centres, and Gonzalo Quesada is also an investment, and the difference can be seen in what we have received from him. Other nations, for example France, were unable to do so because they had to pay off debts. We are doing what all families do when they have extraordinary income: improving their situation so that it becomes a stable situation. Consequently we have invested this money and we can do so until 2027, obviously aiming to bring revenues to the same level as expenditures when the money in question will no longer be there. We have to succeed, if we don’t succeed we will have to go back, but it seems to me that the entire Italian movement is more than satisfied with what we are doing, so this is the path. The investments we have made are giving us results and not just on the field. Our sponsors, whom I always thank such as Vittoria, Macron, Suzuki, Freccia Rossa and Ferrovie dello Stato, have said that they are available to help us even more and are satisfied with our results. If Gonzalo, the team, the girls, the Under 20s continue in this way, and if especially the Italian club teams embrace this project, leaving aside many problems that do not exist and are only linked to looking at the nearest horizon , I am sure that we will achieve all our objectives.”

Francesco Palma

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