Italy's best Six Nations campaign is a beginning and not a destination

Italy came into their 25th Six Nations on the back of a disastrous World Cup and with a new head coach who had little time to prepare, but ended up with their best ever tournament and a feeling that there is even better to come.

Finishing the competition with a three-game unbeaten run, recording two wins and a draw, gathering 11 points, being ranked number eight in the world are all statistics which point to an inspired tournament by Italy.

This was not an Italy who were content to win once against a team on an off-day, be satisfied with a plucky performance or just happy to avoid yet another wooden spoon. Instead, they collected points in four out of five games.

Gonzalo Quesada replaced Kieran Crowley as coach after the World Cup and the Argentine took over a side which had impressed and entertained on occasion but found results hard to come by. Quesada changed that in a very short space of time.

"He was very intelligent in understanding that there were already things we were doing well and to understand that he didn't have much time," fly-half Paolo Garbisi told Reuters.

"We got together for the first time two weeks before the start of the Six Nations, which for a new coach is very little time. What we had to do in two weeks normally you would have six weeks."

Italy began with their most competitive performance yet against England but, after leading 17-8, suffered a 27-24 defeat, with Monty Ioane scoring a late try to secure a bonus point.

Next came Ireland, Grand Slam holders and number two in the world. There was a feeling that Italy went into that game never really believing they could compete and it showed in the 36-0 result but Italy's tournament was about to take off.

Italy have never won a Six Nations game in France