Despite a resounding victory against Wales on Saturday 19 March, Italy finished in last place in the Six Nations Tournament for the seventh time in a row, and for the 17and times in twenty-three participations. Since their integration into the prestigious rugby competition in 2000, the Italians have struggled to take off from the bottom of the rankings. So much so that rumors of Squadra Azzurra being replaced by Georgia are rife – but still being denied. Especially since Italy “has perfectly identified its weak points, and does everything to fill them”, recalls Yvonnick Le Lay, researcher in sports geography at Rennes-II University, specialist in the globalization of rugby.
While France has just won its tenth grand slam in 2022, it is difficult to remember that in 1910 it was the Blues who were in Italy’s situation. The French rugby team then joined what was still the Five Nations Tournament. And the arrival was tough: four defeats, including a painful 27-0 against Scotland and a 49-14 against Wales.
Can Italy console itself for its persistently poor results by comparing them to those of France in its early days? Not really, unfortunately. By studying the first twenty-three participations of the Blues, since 1910 and despite interruptions due to world wars, among other things, we see that the French have been able to raise their level of play. Out of 92 matches played in the Five Nations in twenty-three editions, the Blues have won twenty-three times, or 25% of their matches. The Italians, who played 115, won only eleven, or 9.5% of victories.
Les Bleus won their first tournament in their 25and participation, in 1954 – a shared victory, but which ended in defeat for the English in France. The first tricolor grand slam dates from 1968, for the 39and participation of the XV of France.
The Italian XV does not seem to have started on the same basis: it is no longer progressing, and won its first match in 2022 (against the Welsh, 21-22) since February 2015. Italian rugby players can still be proud to have beaten every nation in the tournament at least once, with the exception of England.