In just four games, Gonzalo Quesada It already makes everyone vibrate Italia. The Olympic stadium in Rome erupted when the match ended this Saturday: the ‘Azzurri’ won by 31-29 to Scotland. Immediately, the Argentine coach embraced his compatriot and assistant Germán Fernández in a hug. With one game left, against fragile Wales in Cardiff next Saturday, Italy has already achieved its best performance in the Six Nations in the last 10 years and is one step away from its best historical performance.
The blue and white prominence in the Azzurri victory is completed with the performance of the center Ignacio Brex, author of a try, impassable in the center of the field (12 tackles) and protagonist of a recovery in the final minutes. He was chosen Man of the Match.
How much does Quesada have to do with this idyllic moment? It is true that in the previous cycle, under the command of New Zealander Kieran Crowley, Italy had already hinted at a more solid game with variants in attack. But it is clear that The Argentine gave it one more twist. On the one hand, from the confidence and temperance to close the games in critical situations. Furthermore, he gave another dimension to the attacking game, with more variations and creativity, something that could be seen for example in the first two tries, in which they used their foot to break the rival defense.
The 31-29 success was suffered. He started badly, knew how to stay in the game when he couldn’t stand, took advantage of his opportunities, gained confidence when a chance circumstance changed the momentum of the game and closed with a great defense.
A try from Sam Skinner with two and a half minutes left left the game within striking distance of victory for Scotland, who received the subsequent start deep in their 22 meters and began the last attack. There were 90 seconds left in regulation time and the Scots began to come back up the field. A four-minute, 24-phase preview that Italy defended with discipline and forcefulnesswhich was finally cut off by a knock-on from the visitor and unleashed the Azzurri celebration.
In four games, Italy has already added a draw against France and this victory. In fact, the 23-23 score against the French should have been a victory, since at the close the fly-half Paolo Garbisi missed a penalty that hit the post, but the referee did not penalize the illegal action of the defense of coming forward when the ball was He fell off the tee and forced a rushed shot. In its entire history in the Six Nations, which dates back to 2000, only twice has Italy achieved two victories in the same competition: 2007 (against Scotland and Wales) and 2013 (vs. France and Ireland), opportunities in which it finished room. Since the latter, They had only won two games in 10 years (to Scotland in 2015 and Wales in 2022), against 48 defeats.
Scotland is the Tier 1 team that Italy beat the most times. This was the ninth in 37 meetings, the eighth for the Six Nations. However, it has an additional value, since the Scottish team, unlike other years when it used to fight for the wooden spoon (distinction who finishes last), is going through a great moment and began the Six Nations as one of the favorites to fight for the title. In fact, he beat England and should have beaten France had it not been for the TMO denying them a try at the end. This time, he stumbled upon the temperance of those led by Quesada.
Brex, the figure
Emerging from San Cirano and with a past in the Pumitas and Pampas XV, Brex, who emigrated to Italy in 2016 and plays Benetton Treviso, he is an immovable piece in the Azzurra since he debuted in 2021 (he has 34 caps). In addition to Nacho, Italy had several individuals at a very high level. His partner in the center of the field Tomasso Menoncello was at his level, the number eight Ross Vincent imposed his power, the wing Michele Lamaro was a beast in defense (26 tackles).
In the first half hour, Scottish dominance was total. With the ball, even without achieving breaks, he did manage to impose conditions based on better work at the point of contact. Recoveries and advances of many phases, as well as solid fixed formations that they used well as attacking platforms, allowed him to advance with relative ease without resorting to elaborate plays or the creativity of Finn Russell. In the first half hour they scored three tries.
Italy seemed like a mere spectator, who limited themselves to defending effectively but without aggression and who delivered the ball quickly every time they had possession. He stayed in the game because he capitalized on the only one he had, a direct line-out play in which Page Relo breaks the defensive line with a kick and accurately enables the Argentine Brex’s try. Furthermore, at the end of the first half he did have the initiative and scored two more penalties that allowed him to go into the break with a converted try shot (22-16).
The start of the second half was a hinge moment. In the first action, Scotland finally achieved a clear break and reached the try, but the TMO detected an obstruction that allowed the leak of Huy Jones and annulled the conquest. In the next action, Italy went on the attack and reached the try with the same formula as in the first: kick behind the defense, this time by Garbisi, precise for the appearance of Louis Lynagh, who justified his inclusion by defining purely speed. Born in Treviso in 2000, he grew up in England and plays for Harlequins. He is the son of legendary Australian flyhalf Michael Lynagh, who had a first professional stint at Benetton and then moved to Saracens. He could have played for Australia or England (in fact, he played for M20 de la Rosa), but he opted for the Azzurra.
Although he couldn’t go forward, as the flyhalf missed an impossible conversion, the momentum shifted. Italy grew and took over the psychological dominance of the party. With that clean and jerk, he reached the try again: a great advance from Vincent and a good finish from substitute scrum-half Stephen Varney.
There were 20 minutes left and Italy took the lead. Garbisi stretched the difference with a penalty in the 73rd minute. Nine ahead that forced two scores for the Scots. The discount came shortly after the end. In the last one, order and the Italian tackle prevailed. Quesada celebrated, all of Italy celebrated.
Next Saturday, they visit Wales, who are last and have not yet won in the Six Nations. An opportunity to make history for Quesada. In just four games, he has already left his mark on the Azzurra.
The synthesis of the party
Italia: Ange Capuozzo; Louis Lynagh, John Ignatius Brex, Thomas Menoncello and Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi and Martin Page Watch; Michele Lamaro, Ross Vintcent and Sebastian Negri; Federico Ruzza and Niccolo Cannone; Simone Ferrari, Giacomo Nicotera and Danilo Fischetti.
Coach: Gonzalo Quesada.
Substitutions: ST 10m, Stephen Varney for Page Relo, Gianmarco Lucchesi for Nicotera and Giosue Zilocchi for Ferrari; Mirco Spagnolo for Fischetti and Lorenzo Canonne for Negri; 30, Federico Mori by Lynagh; 32, Andrea Zambonin for Canonne; 38, Leonardo Marin por Menoncello.
Scotland: Blair Kinghorn; Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones, Cameron Redpath and Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell and George Horne; Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey and Andy Christie; Scott Cummings and Grant Gilchrist; Zander Fagerson, George Turner and Pierre Schoeman.
Coach: Greg Townsend.
Subs: ST 18m, Alec Hepburn for Schoeman, Ewan Ashman for Turner, Matt Fagerson for Christie and Ali Price for Horne; 29, Elliot Millar-Mills for Z. Fagerson, Jamie Ritchie for Darge and Sam Skinner for Gilchrist.
Points
PT: 2 and 34m, Garbisi penalties (I); 6 and 12, goals by Russell thanks to tries by Z. Fagerson and Steyn (E); 15, goal by Garbisi for a try by Brex (I); 25, Russell penalty (E); 28, Schoeman’s trojan (E); 39, Page Relo penalty (I).
ST: 4m, try de Lynagh (I); 18, Garbisi goal by Varney try (I); 33, Garbisi penalty (I); 39, goal by Russell from try by Skinner (E).
Basketball court: Olympic Stadium, Rome.
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia).
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