Beating England 'a big day for Italian rugby'
· Yahoo Sports
Prior to Saturday's game in Rome, Italy v England was the most predictable fixture in the Six Nations.
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Italy had never beaten England in the tournament and had lost every one of their 32 meetings in all competitions.
That miserable run finally ended with a hard-fought 23-18 victory at a raucous Stadio Olimpico.
Steve Borthwick's England side came into the match under pressure after dismal back-to-back defeats, increasing Italy's belief of causing a historic upset.
That is what materialised as the hosts capitalised on second-half yellow cards for Sam Underhill and Maro Itoje to seal an emotional win in the final quarter.
Several players jumped into each others' arms at the full-time whistle, while others fell to the floor overcome with the enormity of the result.
Tommaso Menoncello carved straight through England's defence for a first-half score and powered his way up the wing to set up Leonardo Marin's vital late try, with Paolo Garbisi kicking three penalties.
"At the start of the game, there was a lot of tension, but I am really proud of the boys," captain Michele Lamaro told BBC Sport.
"It is amazing to keep writing Italian history. It's something we are proud of. We are doing this to inspire Italian people to come and play for this team."
Victory means they have now beaten all five of their Six Nations rivals since entering the competition in 2000. The full house comes seven years after the then Six Nations chief executive rejected questions over whether Italy should still be part of the tournament after finishing with another Wooden Spoon.
At that stage, Italy were ranked 15th in the world and had lost their past 17 Six Nations games.
Back then, a win of any sort looked unlikely - a victory over one of the tournament powerhouses required a near miracle.
In 2022, fly-half Garbisi sank to his knees and cried as his last-gasp conversion defeated Wales, ending Italy's seven-year Six Nations losing run.
Zero wins and a record 18th Wooden Spoon followed in the 2023 tournament, but a new crop of young talent was emerging.
The appointment of Argentine Gonzalo Quesada as head coach in 2024 was a turning point, while Italy's investment at under-20 level and in their domestic teams was reaping dividends.
Garbisi's injury-time penalty that year hit the post to deny Italy a first Six Nations victory in France, but it proved they could compete with and beat the very best.
Wins over Scotland and Wales helped them secure their best campaign in terms of results.
Quesada's side struggled with expectations last year and only defeated Wales, but that mistake has not been repeated.
An opening win over Scotland was backed up by running Ireland - back-to-back champions in 2023 and 2024 - close in Dublin, followed by a spirited performance in Lille against France.
Unlike the 2024 defeat by France, they grabbed hold of the game when it was on the line.
"It is a very tough process because you have to change the mindset," Lamaro added on the growing expectation of his side.
"We are used to being last and the underdog, but at the same time, we are building trust in each other, and that is what matters the most."
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'We knew it was going to happen'
The Azzurri conceded 80 points against England in 2001, with their largest margin of defeat coming by 60 points in 1999.
In the campaign that brought the historic win over Wales four years ago, Italy lost 33-0 in Rome to England.
The next time England came to Rome, they were behind 17-14 at half-time, eventually escaping with a 27-24 win.
Centre Menoncello, named player of the match in the win over England, featured that day alongside Ignacio Brex in the midfield - a combination that has been vital to Italy's rise.
The 23-year-old, who became the Six Nations' youngest player-of-the-tournament award winner in 2024, will sign for Toulon next season after developing into one of the best centres in the world.
In that three-point defeat, 10 of the starting XV retained their spots for the fixture two years later.
"It's a massive win, and we have been expecting and working for this victory over the last three years," Menoncello told ITV Sport.
"We knew it was going to happen, and we worked extremely hard over the last week to get the result.
"We knew we conceded an easy try at the end of the first half, but when we came back out, we were on fire.
"We stuck to the game plan, and in the last quarter of the game, we were in England's half."
Italy are now in a strong position to finish above England for the first time in the Six Nations, with a final game to come against winless Wales on Saturday in Cardiff.
Having recorded two wins in 2024 for the first time since 2013, Quesada's side are eyeing a third victory to conclude their best-ever campaign.
"To win today, with expectations to win against an amazing England side, is such a big step in our growth," Quesada told ITV.
"We have to keep our feet on the ground and not get too excited - we have to keep going, but it is a big day for Italian rugby today."
Italy's players celebrate at full-time [Getty Images]Italy lost 47–24 to England last year [Getty Images]