Mallett makes Magners plea

NICK MALLETT wants to fast-forward the plan for at least two Italian sides to join the Magners League.

The English-born former South African international, who coached the Springboks to a world-record equalling 17 successive Test victories, believes Italian rugby has to have another outlet.

“Right now, 10 or more of my best players are involved with English or French clubs; that appears the only route for an Italian player to take if they want to play top class rugby.

“Ideally, what you want, and market forces will often stop you from doing that, is to have a structure in Italy to allow for players to stay at home. It is no good creating a competition that is a pensioning-off tool of a two or more year period for ex-Super 14 players or guys who can’t make French or English club contracts.

“That is unfortunately the case at the moment; over the last couple of years, Italian clubs have won just one Heineken Cup game out of 24, one last year out of 12 and none this season. That was with a number of contracted players from overseas, so if these guys are not producing it for the clubs, why sign them?”

Mallett believes the best thing to do would be to at least give Italian players the opportunity to compete at that level.

“I can guarantee,” he said, “they won’t win much more but at least the players will be playing in positions that will give me an opportunity to see how they might do at international level. I can see how they might do, how they could operate under pressure when I really can’t see that right now.

“I really do think Italy has 15 players or more that could be made up from two teams competing in the Magners League; I don’t think we could have two teams to win it, maybe we don’t have two teams that could even compete very regularly, but the process has to start now. It’s about stepping up now. What is good for Treviso, Calvisano or any other club is not necessarily good for the Italian Rugby Federation.

“We really have to look at the future, we have to look at the first-class level. When you only have to look at one player in various positions it’s not necessarily the ideal situation because the clubs operating in Italy will, perhaps, have signed somebody from overseas.

“It is increasingly important to allow young Italian players to have an environment in their own country to allow them play serious competitive rugby against quality teams on a regular basis.

“I have stressed to the Italian rugby president that there is no way Italy will be competitive even in five years time if they don’t change the structure.

“Long term, if we want to compete for a Six Nations title the only way to do that is to increase the number of guys playing rugby in Italy and increase the quality of rugby they play,” he said

Sergio Parisse, the captain, has a big role to play in the championship opener against England at Twickenham. There are those who believe England could be vulnerable this season but Parisse still sees it as a huge challenge for his side.

“We are trying to find our way in this tournament; having to make a start away from home against a team that has won the World Cup and a country that is so much to the forefront of the game makes it very difficult for us.”