Interview With....

AN INTERVIEW WITH NICK MALLET

N.B. THIS INTERVIEW WAS GIVEN BEFORE ITALY V NEW ZEALAND ON 14^TH NOVEMBER 2009

BD: Nick, how much progress do you feel you have made as Italian coach in the last couple of years? As I know, it’s not an easy job.

 NM: We had a relatively successful first year after I confess I was surprised by what I encountered when I first got here. But the second season was very poor for us. It was a bad 6 Nations campaign, finished off by losing by 50 points to France. I was very nervous going into the southern hemisphere tour back in June. However, I felt we got ourselves back on our feet with that tour to Australia and New Zealand.  I know we lost there too, twice to Australia and once to the All Blacks. But all the Tests were about the same, a 20 point losing margin and for us at that time, that was probably acceptable.

 “So we are probably back to where I wanted us to be. We have improved a huge amount in the last two years in terms of re-structuring. But now we need a few things to go for us, like two of our teams gaining entry to the Celtic League.

 BD: Do you see that as vital for the long term health of Italian rugby?

 NM: Very much so. I believe Italy has two squads at the moment capable, not of winning the Celtic League, but of being competitive. Just to be involved would be a massive boost to professional rugby in Italy because the sides playing in that League do well in the Heineken Cup and the standards are rising all the time. That has to be a huge help to us to be exposed to that.

 BD: What happens if your teams don’t get into it?

 NM: The consequences would be very severe because I think this is the key to Italy’s whole future. I have seen how Scotland have picked up and being in the Celtic League and playing teams like Munster and Leinster plus the four Welsh provincial sides has been hugely beneficial for them. I cannot see the Italians generating a local competition any time in the near future that would be competitive enough to keep their best players in this country by allowing them to play at a level good enough to prepare them for international games. We badly require exposure to a competition that will lift our playing standards each week. The Celtic League would do that. Every country needs that; otherwise all their best players go overseas, which has always happened to Italian rugby.

 BD: What about the pressure on yourself in this results-driven business? Are you feeling that?

 NM: I have never bothered about a win-loss ratio.  When I took over this job, I knew what the calendar would be like. How can you build up confidence when you’re playing the best teams in the world and they are beating you each time? Remember, you have to be realistic here. I prepare the side to do the best they can but if the pressure on the Federation and our President becomes too much that is a decision they must take. That is not something that worries me. I just concentrate on trying to make the team as competitive as they can be and to be honest, I think we are boxing above our weight all the time. But as you know Bob, playing the top three sides in the world is tough.

 BD: It certainly is, especially when you’re trying to develop a squad. Isn’t it a daft schedule?

 NM: We are in a cycle of tours which was put into place over four years ago. It would have been fantastic to have a few more games against sides closer to our level, like Canada, Romania etc. Perhaps just having one southern hemisphere side to play at home this month would have been better. As it is, we have New Zealand and South Africa, the two best teams in the world. But we have to front up and face them.   

 BD:  What are the strengths of your team?

 NM: Our set pieces are usually very good. We have a good scrum and in Martin Castrogiovanni, one of the best scrummagers in northern hemisphere rugby. He destroyed the South African scrum at Leicester last weekend. Others, like the former Stade Toulouse prop Perugini, are also available so it’s a good front row all round. Our locks are solid and competitive. In the back row, Sergio Parisse is up there with the best in Europe. Mauro Bergamasco has great experience on the flank so we have a good unit there, too.

 BD: What about your weaknesses?

 NM: We badly need to discover a new scrum half; we are lacking in experience there. For years, Alessandro Troncon did the job there but now he is retired, we lack experience. However, I am excited about the development of Craig Gower, the Australian at No. 10. He’s only had three years of rugby union but he’s making big progress and in time I want him to take on the goal kicking. We have to hope he stays fit. If he got injured, he would be hard to replace.

 Another area where we are short is pace out wide.  Pace is a real issue in top level rugby these days. There are some absolute flyers around, the likes of Habana, Sivivatu, Shane Williams and Monye. Sides with great pace have a huge advantage in both attack and defence. Unfortunately, the fastest people in Italy are athletes, not rugby players. We are not getting big, fast guys coming through to the game and that mitigates against us being creative.

 BD: So your horizons have to be limited.

 NM:  Yes, inevitably so. We are seeded 12^th in the world. If we can stay in touch with sides like New Zealand and South Africa, as we managed back in June on tour, I would be very, very happy.