Italy Under-20s captain Giacomo Ferrari vowed this is just the beginning for his side after they stunned defending champions England on an historic night in Treviso.
Two Nicolo Teneggi penalties proved enough for the Azzurrini to claim their first-ever Six Nations Under-20s victory over England as they prevailed 6-0 at the Stadio Comunale di Monigo.
The scoreline only told half the story, though, as the hosts produced a remarkable defensive performance – and Ferrari believes the result will be momentous for Italian rugby.
“That’s the result of our work every day, our staff, our group – it’s an amazing group, for real. We’re united all together,” said the emotional Italy Under-20s captain post-match.
“That result is a good sign for all of us because it’s hard times here but that is just the beginning. Something is going to burn, something is going to start here now.
“They [the England forwards] were very big, it’s always been a tough match but, in the end, we were hard in the contact and the break line and it’s just the result of everything.”
On Player of the Match Riccardo Genovese, he added: “I’m very proud of him. He’s an unbelievable guy and I’m very happy for him, he’s an amazing player.”
Deago Bailey’s disallowed try in the first half was the closest the visitors came to scoring as England’s hopes of a second consecutive Grand Slam were ended in dramatic fashion.
Italy Under-20s head coach Massimo Brunello said: “I am very happy, for me, for all the staff, but above all for these guys, who have shown that they really have the courage.
“It was in our dreams to have a match of this level, a breathless fight from the first to the last minute, with our forwards on the verge of heroism, and all always focused defensively despite England’s incessant attempts and their physicality.
“I think that for England to finish without scoring is something really hard to digest – they have a group of players of the highest quality. We did something incredible.
“Overcoming them one-on-one. Seeing my team fight in this way excited me because I knew that the boys had this inside of them, a rugby expressed only minimally against France last week.
“We left for this Championship knowing that repeating what we did last year would be difficult, we had already set the bar high, yet we were able to raise it again.
“Treviso has given us a true rugby environment, not only tonight, but throughout the week, and for this we can only thank the city and its people.
“If I have to dedicate this victory to someone, I dedicate it to the Italian movement, because every day there are so many people who work very hard to make our country’s rugby grow.”
