Italy in need of local support

Points on the board would help stir fans' interest

By BBC Sport Online's Gabrielle Lewis

In the final analysis, Italy will look back on their ninth successive Six Nations defeat with a little hope, but with a larger measure of dissatisfaction.

Azzurri pride has been dented.

Italians like to win and, having fought for their right to compete in the most prestigious tournament for the northern hemisphere rugby-playing nations, they are yet to win over their own - usually-fanatical - sports fans.

Football remains their Caesar. Tennis, handball and volleyball enjoy more media coverage than rugby.

Previews for Italy's last-ditch quest for a single point from this season's Six Nations Championship were relegated to page 22 of the 28-page national sports newspaper.

Meanwhile in the regions north of Rome, said to have a greater enthusiasm for rugby than their compatriots in the football-crazy capital city, the clash with Wales was summed up in merely two paragraphs.

"All Italians feel football is the main sport, so it's the most popular," said Luisa Olivieri from Bologna. "They don't feel the same about rugby."

Dominguez is doing his best

The post-match analysis was deftly washed over by the mass of column inches given to Roma striker Gabriel Batistuta.

He was to return to face his former club, Fiorentina, 24 hours after the wooden-spoon-holders' 33-23 defeat at the Flaminio Stadium, because that is what the majority of Italians want to read about.

Challenge

For many, there is purely a passing interest in rugby.

But successive defeats are not rung out in the nation's proud sporting media.

And despite the lack of Serie A teams in the latter stages of the Champions League or Uefa Cup, the national team's limited success has not helped to wean fans away from football.

"I don't like rugby, I like soccer and I watch Roma," said Angelo Citoni, who owns a trattoria near the Spanish Steps in Rome.

Italy didn't get any points in this tournament, so maybe Johnstone will leave now

  Match steward, Svevo Ciccarelli

"For us, it's important to be good in all sports. But in Italy, there is no tradition in rugby.

"We don't have many rugby clubs and there aren't many people who play. It isn't on television much, so the young boys don't understand rugby."

But these are still early days for Italian rugby. Let us not forget how long it took France to settle into the championships after their first win over Scotland.

Early success

Italy also claimed the Scottish scalp first, beating the reigning Five Nations champions in Rome on their debut in 2000.

It was a triumph that heralded the then newly-appointed coach Brad Johnstone as a saviour for reversing Italy's 1999 annus horribilis.

However, some Italians believe the New Zealander in charge should not retain the helm for the next Six Nations.

Football merchandise outside the rugby ground

"We had to wait a long time to get into the tournament because we were not such a good team," said match steward, Svevo Ciccarelli.

"But now I think we are on the same level as Scotland and maybe Wales.

"But Italians don't like having a foreign coach. They liked Johnstone at the start, but Italy didn't get any points in this tournament, so maybe Johnstone will leave now."

Nevertheless, fans who give their support to the team's cause are optimistic that their national squad is gradually finding their feet.

"The important thing is that Italy are playing in the Six Nations and for the moment, Italians who watch rugby don't care if Italy win or lose, as long as they play in the important matches," said Fabrizio Righini.

He had travelled from Ravenna to watch his national side for the first time.

"I will watch them again and I hope they will win soon."

But Italian rugby still faces a tough road to become a sporting Colossus in the Eternally football-loving city.