For Italrugby, pride is no longer enough, results are needed

At the end of the third day of the Six Nations 2026, the Italian national rugby team has a balance of one win against Scotland and two defeats, against Ireland - a very close result for the Azzurri - and France. A balance that does not please Italrugby: "If we look at the three matches there are more regrets. Today there was certainly a lot of pride but honestly we don't really do anything with pride now. It also broke me and I can't be satisfied". Captain Michele Lamaro was clear as he left the field after the 33-8 loss to France at the Stade Pierre Mauroy Decathlon Arena in Lille. This group wants to win, the performance matters but the result even more. "We know that we are a team that fights for each other. We want to continue doing that, that is our base, but we want more. We want more because we know we can achieve more. We can compete against these teams here away from home, but to do so we have to be a little more precise on many occasions in the match,' Lamaro added to the microphones of Sky.

"We have seen that we put anyone in trouble if we play well. When we do that we are really effective. When we don't do that we see how the others exploit these moments in their favour," Lamaro acknowledged, spending positive words for his teammates, in particular for their "commitment". "Obviously it's not the result we wanted, it's not what we prepared during the week. At this level, against certain teams, you have to be more precise, I think we were in certain situations of the match, but in others we were not, and when against these teams you are not for 80 minutes, you suffer," added second-row Niccolò Cannone, stressing that "now it's time to rest, to analyse this match well and be ready for the next one and it will be a great game. After the Six Nations rest period, on Saturday 7 March at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome comes England, the only team in the tournament that Italia has never managed to beat in its entire history.

After ending the first half with a score of 19-8, the Azzurri still appeared to be in the game and capable of facing France. The first 30 minutes of the second half showed extreme balance, so much so that at the 70th minute the score was still 19-8. At that moment came a yellow card for Louis Lynagh and also a 'mix-up' during the substitution phase of the injured Ange Capuozzo. France unblocked the result at a time when Italia had only 13 players on the pitch and in the last 10 minutes of the game, with the numerical inferiority, Italia conceded 14 points in total, equal to 2 tries converted for the 33-8 final.

"We didn't take advantage of the opportunities we created and when you don't score after creating chances it becomes difficult," stressed coach Gonzalo Quesada, saying that he had received recognition from the French coach, Fabien Galthié, for what he had seen: "We defended well, we recovered a lot of balls on the ground. I spoke with Fabien, who was impressed by this'. French player Emmanuel Meafou, awarded as the best in the match, also complimented the Azzurri: "They are a very, very strong team. They never gave up for 80 minutes. We had difficulty scoring throughout the match but we are happy with the victory." Of course there is disappointment for the result, but in analysing the match, Quesada explained that Italia had a "good first half, in which we showed that we know how to defend well with a beautiful discipline, with positive possession and territory percentages. Then in the second half there were a few too many mistakes, especially in the lineout, and there was a lack of quality balls for the three-quarters, who did not have many opportunities to attack. "Too bad, because in the end the result was not what I would have imagined," Quesada concluded laconically.