Treviso shock troops aim for upset
Not alone do they include 16 full Italian caps, a Springbok out-half and an Irish full-back in their squad but they are coached by Craig Green, a key figure in the New Zealand side that captured the inaugural World Cup back in 1987 and a man with 20 All Black caps to his credit.
Green has been much travelled in the intervening years, but given that he is married to an Italian girl and his two daughters were born in his adopted country, it is only too easy to visualise what the present and the future of the game there mean to him.
It is clearly an uphill battle for himself and fellow Kiwi, and current Italian coach, John Kirwan - another All Black and a man with a remarkably similar background - but they are both positive characters who believe passionately that only regular competition against rugby’s elite will enable the game in Italy to progress.
Inevitably, Green regards tomorrow’s game as a really difficult one and while he believes Munster can make the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup, he warns coach Alan Gaffney his side won’t be a soft touch at Thomond Park on Saturday.
The former New Zealand World Cup-winning winger is in his fifth season coaching Italian clubs and believes Treviso is best positioned to provide a European Cup shock.
Having crumbled to Gloucester at home last week, Green insisted the victory was not as convincing as the 33-12 scoreline suggests.
“It was all down to a few incidents in the game. We conceded a very silly try in the first half when we were well in control and failed to take a gilt-edged chance in the second spell when we were also on top.
“At 12-26 down, we had an opportunity to score a couple of metres from their line, but we knocked on with no defenders in front of us. Then, they scored in injury time when our guys appeared to be just running down time.
“That’s all down to lack of experience, but I am confident we can bring off one or two shocks before the campaign is over.”
Green accepts Treviso have little chance of qualification but he says: “We know full well the extent of the challenge awaiting us but we’re not coming over to lose.”
“With Alessandro Troncon in at scrum-half from the start and Manuel Dallan in the centre, we probably have a stronger team on paper than last week.
“The two sides begin at nil-nil and while we know Munster have never lost a Heineken Cup game at the ground, there’s a first time for everything. Nobody expects us to win and so we have nothing to lose.
“But this is the kind of game that Italian teams play for. It’s not all about winning. The experience also counts for a great deal.
“We don’t have the same budgets as the bigger teams in Europe and can’t afford to sign too many players but we do our best in this regard. We have a Springbok, Franco Smith, and Stuart Legg has played for Newcastle and Biarritz and Simon Mason for Ireland.”
Treviso travelled over yesterday and will train at Thomond Park today, giving the lie to any belief that Italians teams don’t do things just as professionally as those from the bigger rugby nations.
“We have a very good squad, have experience in key positions and a great degree of determination.
“Of course, one of the problems about Italian rugby is that the gap between the rest and us still exists. We have progressed, but others have progressed as well. It’s hard to keep pace.
Green is under no illusions regarding the task at Thomond Park: “We get plenty of feedback on how other teams are performing. I don’t think Munster have changed their game plan much in the last few years but still seem to continue winning matches.
“Clearly, Munster are capable of varying their play. Their win over Bourgoin was exceptional. Any team that wins in France, particularly against a side that prides themselves in tough, rugged forward play, has to be recognised.
“Much will depend on their two games against Gloucester, but Munster must now be favourites to top the group.”
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