“An Everest”. Thus the blue coach Brunel defined tomorrow afternoon's match against New Zealand. The highest mountain of all, the most difficult to climb, a peak on which only the bravest do not tremble, but we, says Brunel, "are prepared for the most demanding climb there is".
Yes, because that's what it's all about, a climb, an attempt (presumably in vain) to subvert the established order: on the one hand, the giants of New Zealand which crushed Scotland a few days ago, on the other, little Italy which sweated to get the better of Tonga, the heart of the rugby empire against a dignified province of its own.
The All blacks, then, are something more than a team, they are a concept, a registered trademark, they are, above all, a phenomenon that goes beyond sport to become cultural (in a broader sense), overwhelming every city they pass with passion, like rock stars on tour. What happened these days in Rome, literally crazy for the New Zealanders, in a fleeting honeymoon that will see its apogee, even more than in the game, in the Haka ritual that will precede it.
Afterwards, however, one match will still have to be played: the kick-off is expected for 15 pm in an Olympic stadium which promises to be packed. The last time with the All Blacks was in Milan, in an overflowing San Siro. The New Zealanders won, ça va sans dire, 20 to 6.
Both coaches line up surprise formations, with Castrogiovanni, Mirco Bergamasco, Orquera, Venditti and Gori returning to the field among the Azzurri, while coach Steve Hansen has almost completely revolutionized the fifteen that beat Scotland in the last game: confirmed the only Julian Savea. Many of the New Zealand champions will be watching, including the legendary captain Richie McCaw, who will even sit in the stands.
The comparison will not and cannot be even. Italy will have to try to close all the spaces, keeping the pace low, and exploiting its qualities, especially the close scrum, hoping to hold up in defence. A victory is out of the question (in the case of rugby, the old adage that anything can happen because the ball is round doesn't even apply), but what matters most is going out with your head held high, and demonstrate that this Italy can also compete with the world champions. Because the challenge with the strongest of all (reduced from 17 wins and 1 draw in the last 18 games) is not just a party, but it is the best way to measure yourself, like huge children who mark the notches of their height on a wall, hoping to find themselves grown up.
Probable lineups:
Italy: farms; Venditti, Benvenuti, Sgarbi, Mirco Bergamasco; Orchestra, Gori; Parisse (cap.), Favaro, Zanni; Minto, Pavanello; Castrogiovanni, Ghiraldini, Lo Cicero. Subs: Giazzon, De Marchi, Citizens, Geldenhuys, Mauro Bergamasco, Barbieri, Botes, McLean
New Zealand: Barret; Gear, Conrad Smith, Nonu, Savea; Cruden, Aaron Smith; Read (captain), Dog, Messam; Retallick, Ali Williams; Faumuina, Mealamu, Woodcock. Subs: Coles, Crockett, Ben Franks, Whitelock, Vito, Kerr-Barlow, Carter, Jane
