Mauro Bergamasco expects England to seek revenge in Rome

After entering the Championship as co-front runners for the title along with reigning champions France, England saw their hopes go up in smoke over the past few weeks. Bergamasco is expecting an enraged England side to arrive in the Italian capital, hoping to return to winning ways with a 33rd straight men's Test victory over the Azzurri. Speaking to Casino Hawks, Bergamasco said;

"When England comes to Rome, they will be like a wounded, aggressive animal. They will be angry and desperate to prove something to regain their reputation. A lot will depend on how Italy comes out of the France game, but it promises to be a close, nervous match against England in Rome.

"I think there is an opportunity for Italy to beat England.. If we can win for the first time, it would be magnificent! Of course, once you do something for the first time, the public immediately expects a second, third, and fourth."

Gonzalo Quesada's side have been hailed by the likes of Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, as the very best Italy team there has ever been. The Azzurri are steadily coming into their own as Six Nations challengers, with a hard-fought first round win over Scotland under the belts, before a narrow defeat to Ireland after leading at half-time in Dublin. Giving his thoughts on Italy and England's campaigns, Bergamasco said;

"In our [Italy] first game against Scotland, the Scots were really struggling for the first 40 or 50 minutes before they turned it around. That's exactly what Italy did against Ireland, right before we lost our GPS and direction in the final ten minutes!

"I think England met Scotland at a bad time. Scotland recognized their mistakes from the first game and were ready to put things right, imposing themselves and competing hard. England perhaps wasn't as solid as expected, and Scotland proved they can make a massive impact on this tournament by dominating England for 80 minutes, denying them space or scoring opportunities."

Bergamasco believes that former Argentina international Quesada, has embraced the Latin connection between Los Pumas and the Italians, in how they work towards their goals. With recent victories over the likes of Wales, Australia and Scotland, Quesada has built a taste for winning into his Italian side.

"I think Italy and Gonzalo are mentally in tune because Argentinians, Spaniards, and Italians share a Latin mindset. His approach was absolutely right, similar to how he approaches clubs in Italy."

"A crucial part of a coach's merit is getting the team to see things the same way. If a coach sees red and the players see red, they are on the same page. If the coach sees red and the players see pink, it's similar, but it's not the same."

Given his personal background with Quesada, Bergamasco expressed how he has been impressed with how the Italy head coach continues to progress at the helm of the side, as he leads the group throughout a third Six Nations Championship.

"I think it's a great group. Gonzalo Quesada has pushed the right buttons to reactivate their motivation, targets, and mental commitment to the Six Nations, serving as great preparation for the next World Cup.

"I know Gonzalo personally; from the moment he met the Italian squad, he understood the right way to communicate. By communication, I don't just mean his words, but the confident way he deals with the players and the signals he sends to everyone, including the technical, physical, and medical staff."