Italian rugby is surrounded by wolves. Not the nurturing sort, like the one that reared Rome’s mythological founders, Romulus and Remus, but sharp-toothed blood-drinkers in the guise of critical journalists and fans who have long lost patience with the Azzurri’s meagre contribution to Europe’s premier rugby union competition.
The statistics support their howls to cut the straggler from the pack. Italy vindicated their inclusion in the Six Nations when they beat Scotland 34-20 in their inaugural outing in 2000, but have won just 11 of their subsequent 96 matches and in 21 seasons have finished last 16 times. They are on a 33-game losing streak stretching back to 2015 and last year broke records for most points conceded (239) and most tries conceded (34), finishing with the worst ever points difference of -184. They have never beaten England.
