Italians hope class gulf can narrow

The IRB’s vow to invest money on world rugby’s middle tier will have been met with hearty applause in an Italian camp acutely aware just how wide the gap is between themselves and the world’s heavyweights.

Italy’s 70-7 defeat to New Zealand last Saturday left many Azzurri fans questioning whether they had actually made any progress at all in the 16 years since the inaugural World Cup.