The engineers, the pharmacists, the farmers, the blue rugby students (including astronomy students) are back today in the Six Nations which sees them based in Parma with the new coach Nanni Raineri and with their very beautiful game to play and to see because not limited to the bumper cars and penaltouches of much of the men’s game.
At Lanfranchi at 16 the professionals of France arrive who on paper are out of reach of the Italians even if today’s transalpines should be a little below the level of the training that last year at the World Cup played the blues 39-3 in the quarterfinals then conquering the third place after having missed the access to the final by one point. Yes, the Italians managed to hoist themselves where the males have never succeeded, but, apart from the many variables that should be included in these comparisons, the paradox of international women’s rugby remains which in a few years has eroded many of the happy differences with the male oval world.
The rigid secular hierarchies of men’s rugby have long been less suffocating in the environment of women who started playing rugby internationally in every country in the mid-1980s (1980s eh, a century after the boys) all over the world and not only in the usual fiefdoms of Ovalia. Then, for five years, the beginning of the end with England, France and then New Zealand digging a furrow with the rest of the world that can – perhaps – be filled only in many years. Perhaps. By making the best players of extremely vast and historically well-rooted movements such as those in England, France and New Zealand professional (full-time, albeit with engagements from teachers or a little more), the level of play of these teams has increased to such an extent that the others still have very little to or. Yes, the Canadians and the Americans put their physique into it, but meanwhile in Europe the Six Nations, as far as winning the tournament is concerned, is rigorously and monotonously linked to the match between England and France. Stop. The others are in the fight for third place with the Azzurri who have the great responsibility of conquering it and not only because for three seasons federal contracts have been introduced which help 25 players in the national team to put together training sessions, matches, training camps, work , holidays, permits or study courses. They help, we certainly can’t talk about salary, but in any case much better than nothing also because the Azzurri are the expression of an amateur movement that can be counted in a few thousand players with national selections of categories, see the under 18s, which are the result of choices among even fewer hundreds of girls.
Thus, the fifth place in the world ranking conquered by the blues of former coach Andrea Di Giandomenico, which his successor confirmed largely for the 2023 Six Nations, is prodigious. A position of prestige and great responsibility that requires beating Ireland (8th in the ranking ) and Wales (9a) at home and Scotland (10a) away. Without forgetting – the French certainly haven’t forgotten it – that the Italians beat France last year in a pre-world test match and in 2019 in the Six Nations which finished in second place, the most brilliant record in the history of Italian rugby.
For the TikTok Women Six Nations The captaincy for Elisa Giordano has been confirmed, the direction remains entrusted to Stefan-Madia, while Beatrice Rigoni will play the role of first center. Michela Sillari, at thirteen, is the active athlete who scored the most points in the tournament (112). In the forward department, Vittoria Vecchini was on the pitch from the first minute in the role of hooker, Turani and Gai on one and three. Ready to take over from the bench scrum-half Sara Barattin, 111 caps, blue with the most appearances ever.
The calendar. Italy matches live on SkySport and Now TV
I day
Saturday 25 March
Wales v Ireland, 31-5
England v Scotland, 58-7
Sunday 26 March
Italy v France, 4.00pm
II day
Saturday, April 1st
Ireland v France, 14.15
Scotland v Wales, 4.30pm
Sunday, April 2nd
England v Italy, 4.00pm
III Day
Saturday, April 15th
Wales v England, 13.15
Italy v Ireland, 5.45pm
Sunday, April 16
France v Scotland, 16.15
IV day
Saturday, April 22nd
Ireland v England, 15.15
Scotland v Italy, 5.45pm
Sunday, April 23rd
France v Wales, 16.15
V giornata
Saturday, April 29
England v France, 2.00pm
Italy v Wales, 4.30pm
Scotland v Ireland, 8.30pm
The formations
Italia: 15 Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi, 14 Aura Muzzo, 13 Michela Sillari, 12 Beatrice Rigoni, 11 Alyssa D’Incà, 10 Veronica Madia, 9 Sofia Stefan, 8 Elisa Giordano ©, 7 Giada Franco, 6 Francesca Sgorbini, 5 Giordana Duca, 4 Valeria Fedrighi, 3 Lucia Gai, 2 Vittoria Vecchini, 1 Silvia Turani
Subs: 16 Emanuela Stecca, 17 Gaia Maris, 18 Sara Seye, 19 Sara Tounesi, 20 Isabella Locatelli, 21 Sara Barattin, 22 Emma Stevanin, 23 Beatrice Capomaggi.
Coach: Nanni Raineri
France: 15 Emilie Boulard, 14 Cyrielle Banet, 13 Gabrielle Vernier, 12 Marine Ménager, 11 Caroline Boujard, 10 Carla Arbez, 9 Pauline Bourdon, 8 Charlotte Escudero, 7 Emeline Gros, 6 Axelle Berthoumieu, 5 Audrey Forlani ©, 4 Manae Feleu, 3 Assia Khalfaoui, 2 Agathe Sochat, 1 Annaëlle Deshaye
Available: 16 Célia Domain, 17 Coco Lindelauf, 18 Rose Bernadou, 19 Maëlle Picut, 20 Gaëlle Hermet, 21 Alexandra Chambon, 22 Jessy Trémoulière, 23 Marie Dupouy
Allenatori: David Ortiz and Gaëlle Mignot
Referee: Referee: Maggie Cogger-Orr, New Zealand
