Former Italy prop Cherif Traore believes the Azzurri are no longer Six Nations passengers and have what it takes to topple France this weekend.
Italy head to Lille brimming with belief after opening their campaign with a win over Scotland and pushing Ireland all the way on the road, leading at halftime before narrowly falling short.
Now the challenge gets steeper against the reigning champions, who dismantled both Ireland and Wales to underline their title credentials.
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But Traore – who’s played 16 Tests for the Azzurri – insists this Italian side is different.
“The recent matches show the team is working hard to become what they are right now because they’re hungry and they want the world to see that they’re growing, they’re evolving,” Traore said.
“France have more potential and they’re in a better place than Italy. But we’re not talking about it on paper.
“Italy could become one of the best teams in the world.”
Since former Argentina boss Gonzalo Quesada took charge after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Italy’s trajectory has shifted sharply upward.
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At that point, the Azzurri had won just two Six Nations matches in a decade – including a grim 33-match losing streak between 2016 and 2022.
Under Quesada, they’ve won four and drawn one of 12 Tests – a 33 percent success rate compared to their historical 13 percent return in the championship.
Photo: Clodagh Kilcoyne/REUTERS