What is Italian for joie de vivre? The positive energy permeating Italy’s rugby was encapsulated by an early mishap for Paolo Garbisi at the Stadio Olimpico last Saturday.
Tasked with a simple penalty to open the scoring against Scotland, the fly-half watched the ball slip off the tee as he prepared to kick: a comical replay of his last-ditch attempt against France that bounced off a post. Despite the painful recent memory, Garbisi clearly appreciated the humour of history repeating itself. He smiled as he replaced the ball, calmly slotted three points as the timer ticked down, and jogged away laughing.
