Rugby: Italians want to be more than Celtic Cinderellas
Aironi and Treviso face Munster and Scarlets in Magners debuts
01 September, 16:55
(By Paul Virgo)
(ANSA) - Rome, September 1 - Italian sides Benetton Treviso
and Aironi are vowing to keep their heads high and spring some
surprises in their historic debut season in the Magners League,
which kicks off this weekend.The Italian Rugby Federation managed to negotiate the teams' entry into the tournament for Welsh, Irish and Scottish clubs - formerly known as the Celtic League - from this season in a bid to raise the standard of club rugby that the nations' best players face.
The hope is that in time this will boost the Azzurri's competitiveness after a tough first decade in the Six Nations when wins have been scarce.
''We don't want to be the tournament's Cinderella. We want to be a surprise for the other teams,'' Treviso Chairman Amerino Zatta said Wednesday ahead of his men's debut at home against Welsh outfit Scarlets on Saturday.
''Events will show that we are right in believing that we have a good group of lads and a good organisation behind them''.
Treviso have a number of Azzurri regulars in their ranks but will need to make a big leap forward on their performances in the Heineken Cup in recent years to pull off the surprises Zatta wants.
The signing of New Zealand-born wing-fullback Joe Maddock from Bath should help their chances.
''Everything is new and it will be a battle every week,'' said coach Franco Smith. ''We shouldn't think too much about who we are up against, because we'll always have to give our all''. Aironi, who visit two-time European champions Munster Saturday, have an even bigger challenge as they are starting from scratch as a new franchise, of which Viadana and Parma will provide the backbone.
Former Italy captain Marco Bortolami is one of several seasoned Azzurri campaigners they have lured back from outside the country, along with hooker Fabio Ongaro and props Matias Aguero and Salvatore Perugini.
They have also signed some quality foreign players in loose forward New Zealander Nick Williams, French back Julien Laharrague and South African wing Danwel Demas.
''We have to take one match at a time,'' Italy lock and Aironi captain Quintin Geldenhuys told the team's website.
''We'll have to make our home ground a fortress and always keep our heads up, even after the defeats.
''It'll be a special occasion against Munster and I'm sure my team mates will be fired up nicely for this debut''.
photo: Aironi's Quintin Geldenhuys (centre) and Marco Bortolami (left) in action for Italy.
