RUGBY MATTERS
BRENDAN GALLAGHER

AS keen observers of sport, we are all amateur psychologists and, with that in mind, it’s been fascinating watching Italy grapple with their marked improvement. All good you might think ... but to these eyes anyway they are still struggling a little to adapt mentally.
The thing is in their 24 Six Nations seasons to date – that’s 120 Tests – they have started as big underdogs in every game bar a couple of home matches against Scotland. In modern day World Cups, other than 2007, they have never had a sniff of quarter-final qualification. Meanwhile every Novembe...