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'They're just not good enough' - Warburton calls for Italy to face Six Nations relegation playoff
By Ian Cameron
Sam Warburton has lost patience with Italy, suggesting that the Azzurri must now face a relegation playoff to justify their ongoing inclusion on the Six Nations.
Italy fell to a landslide 50 - 10 loss at home in Rome to the high flying French, but the nature of their most recent capitulation has many wanting to see the axe swing for the Italians. They haven't won a Six Nations game since their 22–19 away win against Scotland in Round 3 of the 2015 tournament.
A play-off would most likely see them face Georgia, who the Italians have beaten twice in a total of just two matches between the sides.
Warburton's comments came before the Wales Ireland game on the BBC and it seems to have struck a chord.
"There's got to be a change," Warburton told his BBC co-hosts. "It's not just throwing your toys out of the pram off one game. For quite a few years now Italy haven't really been competitive. I personally think there's got to be promotion and relegation in the Six Nations.
"Say if it was last year, Georgia, who won the second tier competition... We can't keep putting a glass ceiling on these teams in Europe because otherwise how do we know what the growth in Europe is going to be like?
"If that's the case, Italy come bottom and Georgia win, in the next international window, Georgia should travel to Italy - so Italy still get home advantage and a chance to stay in the competition - for a playoff game. That would get some pretty good TV viewings, I'm sure. I'd like to see that.
"I think enough is enough. Italy just don't have the strength in depth from a player pool point of view. They're just not good enough to compete at this level right now."
Former England captain and manager Martin Johnson chipped in, saying their latest no show made him cringe. "It was far too easy for France. We're sitting here cringing.
"Even when we've beaten Italy in the past, they've always made it a game. You had to go and beat them, and they were tough defensively. They were physical. They made it very difficult for you. They kept hold of possession and kept it away from you."
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Latest Comments
It is if he thinks he’s got hold of the ball and there is at least one other player between him and the ball carrier, which is why he has to reach around and over their heads. Not a deliberate action for me.
Go to commentsI understand, but England 30 years ago were a set piece focused kick heavy team not big on using backs.
Same as now.
South African sides from any period will have a big bunch of forwards smashing it up and a first five booting everything in their own half.
NZ until recently rarely if ever scrummed for penalties; the scrum is to attack from, broken play, not structured is what we’re after.
Same as now.
These are ways of playing very ingrained into the culture.
If you were in an English club team and were off to Fiji for a game against a club team you’d never heard of and had no footage of, how would you prepare?
For a forward dominated grind or would you assume they will throw the ball about because they are Fijian?
A Fiji way. An English way.
An Australian way depends on who you’ve scraped together that hasn’t been picked off by AFL or NRL, and that changes from generation to generation a lot of the time.
Actually, maybe that is their style. In fact, yes they have a style.
Nevermind. Fuggit I’ve typed it all out now.
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