Italy's bid for a place in the Six Nations and their record since

Italy's bid for a place in the Six Nations and their record since

On 6 May 1995, Italy continued their bid to join the Five Nations as they beat Ireland 22-12 in Treviso, their first success over any of the big eight countries.

 

Diego Dominguez kicked 17 points while Paolo Vaccari scored the only try of the game with Paul Burke scoring all of Ireland's points from the tee.

 

The two sides would meet again at the beginning of 1997 and again in December later that year with the Italians making it a hat-trick of victories in Bologna to show it was no fluke.


That team from the mid to late 90s drove Italy forward on the international front with the side eventually being elevated to Tier 1 status and was subsequently added to the new Six Nations in 2000.


 

After beating Ireland in 1995, Italy went on to claim wins over Argentina, France and Scotland with numerous tight matches between the likes of Australia, South Africa, England and Wales.

 



Between 1990 and 1999, Italy managed a 46.87% win ratio across all tests with six wins over Tier One nations and multiple wins over their second teams.

 

However, the turn of the century has been far less kind to Italy with the side winning just 25.55% of their tests in 20 years.

 

Since joining the Six Nations in 2000, Itlay have played 103 games in the competition claiming just 12 games and drawing 1. 

 

Scotland, France, Wales and Ireland have all tested Six Nations defeat to Italy with the aggregate scoreline over the 20 years sitting at 14-33 against Italy.

 

Italy's biggest Six Nations' win came against Scotland in 2007 with the Italians running out 37-17 victors but such results have been few and far between in more recent times for Italy.

 

They have lost each of their 25 games in the Six Nations since beating Scotland in 2015, the longest losing run by any side in Five/Six Nations history; only on two occasions in that spell have Italy lost by a single figure margin (v France 2016, v Scotland 2018).

 

There had been signs of promise for Italy when they claimed the Wooden Spoon just once between 2012 and 2015, but they last year took it home for the fourth tournament in a row and 14th time overall.

 

Leading scorers

Parisse's seven Six Nations tries put him joint-top of Italy's all-time list with Mirco Bergamasco, a tally Tommaso Allan is just two shy of.

Bergamasco scored 17 of Italy's 22 points when they beat France in the Six Nations for the first time in 2011 and reached 122 in the competition before making the switch to rugby league.

Only former fly-half Diego Dominguez, who booted 29 against Scotland in Italy's maiden win in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2000, has more (162).

Latest News