While its Irish counterpart looks tentatively towards the visit of France despite a nine-try victory in Rome, the Italian media has taken its national rugby team to the woodshed following Saturday's record 10-63 defeat at Stadio Olimpico.
Ireland laid waste to Conor O'Shea's Italy team which in truth had never looked further from merely meriting inclusion in the tournament; Corriere dello Sport echoed these sentiments in its dissection of a woeful and occasionally heartless display, but we begin with La Gazetta dello Sport, who described Saturday's encounter as "the worst waste of a home game in the history of the Six Nations."
Gazetta explain how Italy have lost 14 of their last 15 Six Nations encounters, using their last victory - versus Ireland in 2013 - and Saturday's subsequent defeat as a yardstick by which to judge both side's respective development in the intervening years.
They write:
The Greens this time inflicted a lesson terrible to an Italy who appeared right from the start with no weapons and no escape. It was a long, 80-minute agony for an Italy too bad to be true. It ended with the worst defeat for a home game in the history of the Six Nations.
The embarrassing gap between the two teams appeared from the first minute: Ireland leads the way, dominating the Blues, who do not pass their midfield. Italy lost the battles in the scrum and lineout, suffering several missed tackles and giving open spaces under the fatally attacking thrust [of Ireland].
Why the canvas of the match did not change at all, with Italy incapable of the slightest flicker. Absolute zero. Unexpected, demoralising, inexplicable.
Whether Italy's defeat is truly unexpected is a matter for debate; Italian rugby is structurally unsound, with investment made towards the national team as opposed to from grassroots upwards. As succinctly explained by one Gazetta commenter:
Nothing is sudden... Let alone in professional sports. From admission date, the FIR has preferred 'the egg' today [and not tomorrow], investing in the National team, but not on the base.
Instead, Argentina, for example, has invested in both. Scotland, with a strong tradition and a movement that does not invent overnight, with serious planning is returning.
But here we have architects who designed the house starting from the roof.
In Corriere dello Sport, the theme of blaming the system as opposed to Conor O'Shea continued.
Its match report begins:
"The mountain to climb" that O'Shea was talking about was much too high.
"We don't deserve our place in the Six Nations." Italian papers throwing their team to the lions today. "Italy crumble: change needed now." pic.twitter.com/tB6lESDBzP
— Nick Mullins (@andNickMullins) February 12, 2017
The Corriere paper headlines its inquisition: "Azzuri literally devoured by Ireland (10-63) and booed by the Olimpico."
Meanwhile, Corriere rugby writer Francesco Volpe's opinion is extremely clear: Italy are out of their depth.
He writes:
Today, we don't deserve to be in the 6 Nations.
As mentioned by both Gazetta and Corriere with more than a tinge of menace, next up for Italy is England in Twickenham.
