For more than twenty years, Italy lived in the shadows. A permanent guest at the Six Nations since 2000, the Nazionale long embodied the thankless role of sixth man, brave but doomed to hang on. Yet something has changed over the past two seasons. The Azzurri no longer turn up to learn, they turn up to compete. And sometimes to win. That transformation is no miracle. It is the result of deep, patient, strategic work.

A structural revolution begun out of sight

The first turning point dates back to 2016, when the Italian federation decided to overhaul its entire development system. The arrival of Conor O’Shea, alongside development specialist Stephen Aboud, marked a change of philosophy. It was no longer simply about selecting the best, but about developing players better and earlier. “We had to build solid foundations. Without that, no lasting results are possible, the former has long maintained. The challenge was not to win a match. The challenge was to change the system.”

The aim, then, was to create an identity in the way the team played and to produce players capable of matching the best nations physically and tactically. The academies were strengthened, young players brought into elite pathways earlier and their monitoring centralised. That groundwork took several years to bear fruit. But it gradually changed the profile of the Italian player: more complete, quicker, more adaptable.

The key role of the franchises and international exposure

Another decisive lever was the integration of the Italian franchises into international competitions such as the Pro12 (now the United Rugby Championship). That regular exposure to Irish, Welsh and South African sides raised the bar considerably.

Italian players no longer discover international intensity when they get there. They live it every week. And they perform for their respective clubs too, to the point of catching the eye of Europe’s biggest beasts. As a result, the physical and tactical gap has narrowed.

A new generation without hang-ups

The current generation embodies that shift. Led by captain Michele Lamaro, it did not grow up with the inferiority complex that weighed on its predecessors. These players beat Wales in Cardiff in 2022, ending a grim run of 36 defeats in the Six Nations, a landmark win that changed how the group saw itself. Lamaro, precisely: “We had had enough of being talked about as the last team in the Six Nations. The win in Wales changed something in us. We understood that it was not impossible. We do not want to be brave any more. We want to be effective. This team no longer doubts itself as much as it used to. We work to win, not to limit the damage.“

Since then, Italy have strung together solid performances: a win against Australia in 2022, a draw in France and a victory over Scotland in 2024, confirmation of steady progress. The team are no longer a designated victim. They have become a credible opponent.

Gonzalo Quesada, the accelerator of maturity

The appointment of Gonzalo Quesada as head coach follows the same line. The Argentine coach has brought rigour, tactical clarity and mental demands. Under his direction, Italy play with better judgement. The kicking game is better controlled, the defence more structured, and the management of difficult spells more mature.

The Azzurri no longer play on heart alone. They play with method. And what of the set piece, the Squadra’s genuine weapon of destruction. Go and ask the best tighthead prop in the world (still, perhaps?) Tadgh Furlong, bent double in the scrum last weekend. No, really, Italy are tough and serious.

A decisive mental evolution

That is perhaps where the greatest transformation lies. For a long time, Italy played to avoid humiliation. Today, they play to win. That psychological switch took a while to be flicked, but it shows in the behaviour: less rush, more control, more confidence. Less “fear of winning”, and of “getting it wrong”, too.

To talk numbers, the symbol is a powerful one: Italy reached eighth in the world rankings in 2024, their best ever placing. This is no longer an occasional outsider. This is a nation under construction.

The end of a status, the beginning of an ambition

Italy are not yet a major power. They remain inconsistent, still searching for reliability. But they have moved up a level. They now have a structured development system, players exposed to the highest level, a clear identity in the way they play and, above all, an ambitious generation.

They now have a new conviction: that they belong fully among the elite. The Squadra Azzurra are no longer a guest. They have become a rival. The Six Nations has changed. So has Italy.