Italy's shock victory over Wales marked the beginning of a new chapter and proved that the Azzurri can hold their own at the top table of European rugby, according to captain Michele Lamaro.
Question marks had been raised about Italy’s future in the Guinness Six Nations following a run of 36 successive defeats stretching back to 2015.
However, they stunned defending champions Wales last weekend, winning 22-21 in Cardiff to collect their first ever victory on Welsh soil.
Italy clinched the win a minute from time when full-back Ange Capuozzo attacked from inside his own half and Edoardo Padovani claimed a try that Paolo Garbisi converted to spark wild scenes of celebration.
Lamaro, who plays his club rugby with Benetton in the United Rugby Championship, could hardly have anticipated captaining Italy to their next Six Nations win when he watched their previous victory – a 22-19 triumph over Scotland – at a friend’s house as a 16-year-old.
However, he is now determined that the dark days are behind Italy and that he and head coach Kieran Crowley can help guide the national team to new heights.
"What we are trying to do is to create a positive process that allows us to be competitive in the game and obviously to be prepared before and after," the 23-year-old flanker told the PA news agency.
"We don’t want to get to the point again where we’re not competing and not having those results.
"From now on we really want to start to be competitive day by day, just by trusting our process.
"(The Wales result) is something that gives you confidence that you can be there, you can compete at this level, you can win a game in the last minute.
"We knew it, but for us as a team the result gives us a lot of confidence moving on."
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