Volkswacht Bodensee - Italy half-backs can make difference against England: ex-coach Mallett

Gonzalo Quesada's team host England in the Six Nations in Rome on Saturday, emboldened by an impressive start to their tournament, coupled with a capitulation in the form of Steve Borthwick's charges.

But in 32 previous Tests, Italy have never beaten England.

Two of the matches in which Italy came closest to doing so were during Mallett's reign at the Azzurri helm -- a 17-12 defeat in 2008 and a 19-15 loss two years later, when the team captained by Sergio Parisse actually led 15-6 early in the second half.

Now, like then, Italy have a formidable pack but what sets this team apart from Mallett's one is their half-back pairing.

"I thought our pack was as good as anyone in the world," South African Mallett told AFP by telephone.

Alongside No.8 Parisse, he had the likes of props Martin Castrogiovanni and Andrea Lo Cicero, lock Marco Bortolami and flanker Mauro Bergamasco.

"In fact, we held South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, France. We didn't take a backward step against any of those teams.

"But unfortunately, we had very, very inexperienced half-backs because both (fly-half) Diego Dominguez and (scrum-half) Alessandro Troncon had played and played and played, and then they both retired at 36 or something like that.

"And there was just no one to take their places. So that was really difficult."

- 'Mature' Garbisi -

Mallett took over the Italy reins after the World Cup in 2007, when Troncon retired, while Dominguez had hung up his boots after the 2003 edition.

Mallett used nine different half-back partnerships in his 20 Six Nations matches from 2008 to 2011 as he sought to find a pairing that could perform consistently at that level.

"If you don't have a nine and 10 who understand how to drive your team properly, your decision-making at nine and 10, when to kick, when to pass, when to tell the forwards to take it up, when to play wide, when to kick wide, when to chip for your centres, or grubbers -- all those decisions come from tremendous experience from nine and 10, and we just didn't have it," said Mallett.

"So that's a big difference. (Paolo) Garbisi's got it. And I think whoever they play at nine, they're very experienced."

Mallett has been particularly impressed by fly-half Garbisi's "game control and management".

"He's got a very good left boot but he also knows when to play out the back or whether to play up a bloke coming on the flat line.

"He can be a threat himself, he can put little grubbers or chips through.

"I think he's really matured a lot."

- 'Generational talent' -

Italy went a record 36 Six Nations matches without winning between 2015 and 2022.

They ended that run with a dramatic 22-21 win away to Wales in 2022, with New Zealander Kieran Crowley at the helm.

Since then, Mallett believes that Quesada's "pragmatic" approach has found the right "balance" for the team.

And he has been really impressed with Italy's pack.

The sight of British and Irish Lion Tadhg Furlong being lifted off his feet by an Italian shove left a lasting mark on Mallett.

"I really do think that they've got a generational talent group of players now," he said.

"The front row is as strong as anyone in the Six Nations, if not stronger -- the strongest.

"You don't see Tadhg Furlong go up in the air like a cork out of a wine bottle -- and the Italian front row did that."

As to whether or not it will be enough to get that elusive first win over England, Mallett said they would go into the game with "no inferiority complex".

"Their game plan, their defence, their kicking game, their physicality, their great set-piece against an English side that's made nine changes," said Mallett.

"It's going to be very, very, very competitive."

P.Keller--VB