{"id":51804,"date":"2026-03-06T07:28:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T07:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=51804"},"modified":"2026-03-06T07:28:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T07:28:18","slug":"nick-mallett-gives-italy-a-sniff-against-england-six-nations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2026\/03\/06\/nick-mallett-gives-italy-a-sniff-against-england-six-nations\/","title":{"rendered":"Nick Mallett gives Italy a sniff against England"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Former <strong>Italy <\/strong>coach <strong>Nick Mallett<\/strong> believes that the Azzurri\u2019s halfbacks \u2013 brothers Alessandro and Paolo Garbisi \u2013 hold the key to recording a first ever victory over <strong>England<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Italy's Paolo Garbisi has matured into a very good fly-half, ex-coach Nick Mallett says\" data-loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Nick-Mallett-gives-Italy-a-sniff-against-England.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong><em>Italy\u2019s Paolo Garbisi has matured into a very good flyhalf, ex-coach Nick Mallett says. Image: Sameer AL-DOUMY \/ AFP<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Gonzalo Quesada\u2019s team host England in the Six Nations in Rome on <strong>Saturday, 7 March<\/strong> emboldened by an impressive start to their tournament, coupled with a capitulation in the form of Steve Borthwick\u2019s charges.<\/p>\n<p>Kick-off is at <strong>18:40<\/strong> (SA time).<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-never-beaten-england\"><strong>Never beaten England<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>But in 32 previous Tests, Italy have never beaten England.<\/p>\n<p>Two of the matches in which Italy came closest to doing so were during Mallett\u2019s reign at the Azzurri helm \u2013 a 17-12 defeat in 2008 and a 19-15 loss two years later, when the team captained by Sergio Parisse actually led 15-6 early in the second half.<\/p>\n<p>Now, like then, Italy have a formidable pack but what sets this team apart from Mallett\u2019s one is their half-back pairing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought our pack was as good as anyone in the world,\u201d South African Mallett told AFP by telephone.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside No 8 Parisse, he had the likes of props Martin Castrogiovanni and Andrea Lo Cicero, lock Marco Bortolami and flanker Mauro Bergamasco.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn fact, we held South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, France. We didn\u2019t take a backward step against any of those teams.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut unfortunately, we had very, very inexperienced half-backs because both (flyhalf) Diego Dominguez and (scrumhalf) Alessandro Troncon had played and played and played, and then they both retired at 36 or something like that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd there was just no one to take their places. So that was really difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mature-garbisi\"><strong>\u2018Mature\u2019 Garbisi<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Mallett took over the Italy reins after the World Cup in 2007, when Troncon retired, while Dominguez had hung up his boots after the 2003 edition.<\/p>\n<p>Mallett used nine different half-back partnerships in his 20 Six Nations matches from 2008 to 2011 as he sought to find a pairing that could perform consistently at that level.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you don\u2019t have a nine and 10 who understand how to drive your team properly, your decision-making at nine and 10, when to kick, when to pass, when to tell the forwards to take it up, when to play wide, when to kick wide, when to chip for your centres, or grubbers \u2013 all those decisions come from tremendous experience from nine and 10, and we just didn\u2019t have it,\u201d said Mallett.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo that\u2019s a big difference. (Paolo) Garbisi\u2019s got it. And I think whoever they play at nine, they\u2019re very experienced.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mallett has been particularly impressed by flyhalf Garbisi\u2019s \u201cgame control and management\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s got a very good left boot but he also knows when to play out the back or whether to play up a bloke coming on the flat line.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe can be a threat himself, he can put little grubbers or chips through.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think he\u2019s really matured a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-generational-talent\"><strong>\u2018Generational talent\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Italy went a record 36 Six Nations matches without winning between 2015 and 2022.<\/p>\n<p>They ended that run with a dramatic 22-21 win away to Wales in 2022, with New Zealander Kieran Crowley at the helm.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, Mallett believes that Quesada\u2019s \u201cpragmatic\u201d approach has found the right \u201cbalance\u201d for the team.<\/p>\n<p>And he has been really impressed with Italy\u2019s pack.<\/p>\n<p>The sight of British and Irish Lion Tadhg Furlong being lifted off his feet by an Italian shove left a lasting mark on Mallett.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really do think that they\u2019ve got a generational talent group of players now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe front row is as strong as anyone in the Six Nations, if not stronger \u2013 the strongest.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t see Tadhg Furlong go up in the air like a cork out of a wine bottle \u2013 and the Italian front row did that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As to whether or not it will be enough to get that elusive first win over England, Mallett said they would go into the game with \u201cno inferiority complex\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTheir game plan, their defence, their kicking game, their physicality, their great set-piece against an English side that\u2019s made nine changes,\u201d said Mallett.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s going to be very, very, very competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-teams\"><strong>Teams<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-italy\"><strong>Italy<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>15 Lorenzo Pani, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Michele Lamaro (captain), 5 Andrea Zambonin,4 Niccol\u00f2 Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti<\/p>\n<p>Replacements:\u00a016 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Muhamed Hasa, 19 Federico Ruzza,20 Riccardo Favretto, 21 Alessandro Fusco, 22 Leonardo Marin, 23 Tommaso Allan<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-england\"><strong>England<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>15 Elliot Daly, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Guy Pepper, 5 Alex Coles, 4 Maro Itoje (captain), 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George, 1 Ellis Genge<\/p>\n<p>Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Jack van Poortvliet, 23 Marcus Smith<\/p>\n<p><strong>Venue:<\/strong>\u00a0Stadio Olimpico, Rome<br \/><strong>Kick-off:<\/strong>\u00a018:40 (SA time)<br \/><strong>Referee:<\/strong>\u00a0Luc Ramos (France)<br \/>A<strong>ssistant Referees:<\/strong>\u00a0Pierre Brousset (France), Sam Grove-White (Scotland)<br \/><strong>TMO:<\/strong>\u00a0Eric Gauzins (France)<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-can-you-think-of-anything-better-than-england-losing-to-italy\"><strong>Can you think of anything better than England losing to Italy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Let us know by clicking on the comment banner below \u2026<\/p>\n<p>By Garrin Lambley \u00a9 Agence France-Presse<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#Nick #Mallett #Italy #sniff #England<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Italy coach Nick Mallett believes that the Azzurri\u2019s halfbacks \u2013 brothers Alessandro and Paolo Garbisi \u2013 hold the key&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51804"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51806,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51804\/revisions\/51806"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}