“It will be a life experience, not just rugby. And what battles await us.” With her 126 kilos of muscles, 1.86 centimeters tall, Marco Riccioni will be one of the key players in the oval Italy team that inaugurates the next week summer tour facing the giants of the Samoan islands in Apia – Friday 5 July: here it will be 6 in the morning (a national television broadcaster is about to reach an agreement with the local federations that own the rights). On July 12th the Azzurri will face Tonga in Nuku’alofa, the last match is in Sapporo against Japan on July 21st. “They will challenge us physically, especially in the first two games,” says the right prop. That when he doesn’t wear the blue shirt plays with Saracens, the same English club of Theodore McFarland, forward of Samoa. “I’d like to annoy him in a sporting way next Friday: for me, it will perhaps be the most heartfelt match.”
Riccioni: “There will be battles with Samoa and Tonga”
Among the blues, 4 rookies: Loris Zarantonello, David Odiase, François Mey and Matt Gallagher. The islanders play a very physical game, with evident natural power. Meeting them at their home, in always slightly special conditions – the national team will arrive on the island only the day before and will leave the same night of the match: it would have been simpler to face them in New Zealand, perhaps in Auckland where the Azzurri are based for 2 days, but it was a sign of respect from the Fir much appreciated by the International Board – meaning testing the team of coach Gonzalo Quesada, protagonist of the last Six Nations, twice. «We face teams that are behind us in the world ranking: it will be essential to confirm the ranking», explains Riccioni. Today Italy is in 8th place, Samoa in 14th, Tonga in 15th, Japan – just beaten in Tokyo by England 52 to 17 – is 12th. “It will be a different, more tactical match against the Japanese: they will certainly study our previous matches in detail.”
First test for Hodges’ new defense
The blue prop is recovering from an injury that kept him away for a long time. “There is depth and great competition in all positions, a sign of the growth of our rugby. I’m used to fighting for a place in Saracens, it’s something I experience positively: those who are better physically will play, those who know the game structures and know how to apply them more effectively.” By the way: Italy has changed its defense manager, the Englishman Richard Hodges took over from Marius Goosen. “Something will change: in the past we have always tackled a lot. We will continue to do it with the same effectiveness, trying to be even more intelligent: you win if you score the tries, force the opponent to defend by managing the ball yourself. We’ll have fun in July.”
