Italy must justify their presence with good showing against England

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.

All signs point to a regression. And though the clamour to include Georgia has quietened, there is mounting momentum behind a bid to make room for South Africa. Facing the wall of gnashing teeth is a man who understands that time is against him. “We know we have to start pulling our weight,” says Kieran Crowley, a World Cup winner with New Zealand in 1987 who took charge of Italy last May. “I’m not against promotion-relegation. It might be a good thing. That’s a decision for the boardrooms. What I will say is that we can silence that chat with our own performances.”

After serving as an All Black selector and then under-19s coach, in 2008 Crowley was appointed coach of Canada, staying in post for eight years. He then signed with Benetton, where he took the Treviso franchise to a first ever Pro14 quarter-final, losing by two points to Munster in 2019. Last year he broke new ground by