Another Grand Slam for Wales

I know, I know... I'm late, very late, way too late. Nevertheless, I could not let it pass :-) I only wonder what would have happened if Wales beat France in the world cup semi-final...

Don't pass (too) backwards

This is one of the most common mistakes I always see whenever I watch Italy play. The Welsh pas the ball almost parallel to the end line, so that the players have to accelerate to catch it: this gives them an advantage in the impacts, while Italians have to slow down, or they are already still, waiting for the ball to come into their hands.

It should not be so hard, I remember Santa teaching us that trick when we were 15 years old. I can't believe that players of a national team still have not learned it.


Pity for all the missed tackles. On the other hand, Halfpenny could avoid to hit Parisse while he was in the air. Anyway, the final 24-3 says it all.

Next turn: Italy and Scotland will battle for the wooden spoon, while I hope to see the Wales defeat the French team to secure a Grand Slam (they already won the Triple Crown). Shall the Dragons have great years like in the Seventies?

This was closer

I must admit that this time I really thought we could do it. Italy had never beaten England before, and it could have been a hard blow for the Whites of the Rose. Sadly, Italy still has to master the fine art of kicking to points, an art which their opponents seem to know well. At the end of the match the field was not the only cold thing in the stadium, and we hope that the Azzurri are not paving their way to another wooden spoon.


How much time has to pass before images like this one become the norm? Will Italy be able to really be one of the big dogs? Will my friend James ever stop smirking at me?

Ok, forget it, the last one would really be impossible... but one can still dream, can't he?

Baboons bash the Welsh

As unbelievable as it might seem, for the seventh year in a row (which means since the trophy was born) the Ingolstadt Baboons won the most important trophy of the Milano Rugby Festival 2011(you got it, we're talking about the Cassie Pienaar trophy, awarded to the team that drinks more beer). The stats report the astoundish number of 350 beers in three days, which was barely enough to beat the Gwent Police team from Wales. And there were only eight Baboons! (no, we didn't count Mr. Zulu)

I'm told there have also been some rugby matches (actually about 150), at the end of which the Cup went to the Clandestinos, who came all the way from Argentina. The Vets cup was awarded, for a change, to the Alcolizzati, that also featured the best player in the category (way to go Luca!).

I hope next year I'll be part of the game: we are already thinking of restoring our old sevens team, the Isotopes (I was 232Th). Of course time passes for everyone, so we'll feature the Decayed Isotopes. Maybe our old grey shirts will be replaced with yellowish or greenish ones. Or maybe not... after all, thorium decays in about 14 million years...

Milano Rugby Festival 2011

Though I have been very busy, I cannot help reminding everyone of the 2011 edition of the Milano Rugby Festival, which will be held in Cernusco this weekend. All the details can be found on the official page of the tournament. See you there, and remember: left hand drinking only :-)

Another rainy day for Italy

Today Italy lost 32-14 to Australia in a not very exciting match, despite both team showed something interesting. It is quite surprising how Italy was not able to turn their scrum superiority into more points, and it is also a pity that Rockt Elsom was allowed to "steal" a try in the last action of the match - and with stealing I mean that he was ready and able while Italians were a little sleepy, not that it was not a legal try, I'll leave those rants to "soccer experts", thank you very much.

And, talking about soccer, let me point out that hell will freeze over before you can spot an Italian soccer player sing our national anthem, while in rugby matches not only all players sing it, just like the crowd, but all the children join them too.

Argentina defeats Italy

Maybe after today's match someone will spot the difference between a wannabe, although good, and the real thing.

If you don't know what I'm talking about just take a look at what happened in a world cup semi-final...

Rugby CE Persona for Firefox

Muggio has developed a Rugby Cernusco Persona for Firefox. If you are a CE lover you are invited to wear it on your favourite browser :-)

Those were the days

Call it naiveness, call it nostalgia, call it whatever you like, but honestly... how often do you see things like these nowadays?



The game has changed, it has become faster, more physical, probabily even more attractive for the audience. But how many Gareth Edwards do we have the pleasure to stumble upon? Look for the underhand pass around minute 9...

Scotland spoils Ireland plans

With a penalty kick by Parks at the eleventh hour, Scotland destroys Ireland hopes to secure the Triple Crown in their last match at the Croke Park. Regardless of what will happen during the match, many people will be celebrating at the Stade de France tonight; the only thing that remains to be seen is whether France will win the Grand Slam: will England be able to stop their winning strip?

Ireland stuck?

Despite O'Driscoll beautiful try, after the first half the Irish are still losing to Scotland. I'm afraid this year the Six Nations will be awarded to France - obviously they have deserved it so far. What will happen in the clash against England? I'll keep my hopes high...

Mud and glory

These are two words that often go together when you're talking about rugby. I won't talk about glory here, but sure enough yesterday evening we had plenty of mud. And I thought that Crespi was bad... What a fool!

As the icing on the cake, I also somehow managed to get a massive blow in the breastbone, which prevented me to normally continue the training. This should teach me (remind me) what the right position is when you are about to impact on a defender. Instead of making for the changing room, I went on running on my own and did not abandon the field, opting instead to collect some more mud before taking a (cold) shower.

That brings me back to square one... to be honest, not that I'd gone much farther than that so far...

Milano Rugby Festival is back

Read here all you need to know about the 2010 edition. Who will win the Cassie Pieenar Trophy this year?

Six Nations 2010

The Italian television La7 will broadcast all the matches featuring Italy. Good news, as last year it seemed that we could only see the Six Nations on Sky (or, like my luckier friend Pancho, at the stadium).

It's a pity I won't be able to see the other matches... which, according to Murphy's Law, are the ones I'm most interested in. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. Well, another axe to grind about rugby in tv... I should be used to it, but guess what: I'm not!

Thanks again to La7 for giving us a glimpse of the show.

Climbing the ranking

Italy has climbed up to 11th place in the international ranking defeating Samoa 24-6. Unluckily Sergio Parisse could only join the match from the sideline for a serious injury occurred to him a couple of days before the match. That said, the match didn't have much to offer, starting from Bergamasco kicking penalties. Not because of Bergamasco, who even scored, but because he's not a kicker. Is it possibile that Italy doesn't have one? Italy have had no real kickers after Diego Dominguez (who, to cross the t's and dot the i's, actually came from Argentina), and that should really change in order to avoid trashing away all the possessions hardly gained by the scrum, the very same scrum that collapsed the All Blacks even if Dickinson didn't seem to notice it.

I went shopping after the first period, as what I saw was enough. The match against South Africa was a better one, the Springboks perfectly did what every youth coach teaches his children: all the fundamentals, by the book. Simple, yet effective, and a pleasure to watch. Looking forward to the Six Nations, longing for a breathtaker like Wales-Ireland.

All Blacks not so ready for Italy

New Zealand defeated Italy 20-6 in the wonderful frame of a completely full San Siro Stadium, featuring more than 80.000 supporters. But the black pack was really disappointing, and Ellis surely doesn't have the fastest hands around: the Italian scrum really bashed them beyond any hope. The official website allblacks.com reports

However, in the last six minutes as 13 successive scrums were set five metres from the All Blacks line, and Neemia Tialata, having changed to the loosehead prop was sin-binned for taking a scrum down, the Italians were not able to get past a determined All Blacks pack.

What they forgot to mention is that those 13 scrums derived from as many penalties awarded by the referee due to a literally humiliated pack that could only but cheat to prevent Italy from rolling over them. Parisse after the match said to Dickinson that he should have taken a decision, awarding a well deserved technical try. Well, he simply didn't. It wouldn't have changed the outcome of the match, but it would mean a lot for Italians. Scoring a try against New Zealand is something you bring with you for a lifetime, and I know what I'm talking about. Today Italy have been stolen this achievement. Would Dickinson take the same decision if Italy collapsed the scrum for so many times? Surely in the Six Nations against England just a few years ago Italy was punished for much less. Anyway. My friend Pancho, who was just above that small plot of land ploughed and ploughed by the forwards, pretty much agrees with me, and he says that also all the other 80.000 supporters do. At last this was not just an opinion of mine, was it?

The Italian movement has surely grown, but it is not enough, like the last Six Nations has shown. Their growth also passes through matches like this: a lost opportunity, a good match with a bitter taste. Will the Federation be able to choose the right strategy to keep the movement growing? Let's put the matter off...


That said, the stadium was wonderful, the anthems were very exciting and the haka was thrilling, as always (as an aside: I'm talking about the Ka Mate, as I never liked the Kapa O Pango). Pity that today the All Blacks didn't have much more to offer.

All Blacks ready for Italy

Tomorrow is the long awaited day of the clash between Italy and the All Blacks in San Siro, Milan, where 80.000 supporters are ready to cheer for their favourite team but most of all to enjoy a good afternoon of rugby.


Statistics are awfully against Italy, who lost their last match 27-6 in June. Longing for a try!

Why British people play rugby

Englishmen play rugby because they invented it. Welshmen, Irishmen and Scots play rugby because if they bashed Englishmen in any other way they'd end up in jail.

Thanks to Pancho for the hint.

Goodbye Pedro

After winning four Italian titles, after playing with the Italian National Team, after many satisfactions Pierpaolo Pedroni has been - way too early - summoned to play in the selection of rugby legends in the most beautiful stadium over the rainbow.

When my friend Pancho gave me the news I couln't believe him, as I had just met Pierpaolo, who was only 45 years old, less than a month ago in Cernusco, where he won the Vets cup with the Alcolizzati.

Somebody says that rugby players never die, at the most they hand the ball. Goodbye Pedro, we'll meet at the fourth half.

Milano Rugby Festival 2009 Pictures

On the official site of the event you can find a bunch of pictures of the 2009 edition of MRF; I'll just post this appetizer... or is it?


See you next year!