taly's Under-20 Six Nations will kick off at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh, behind the legendary Murrayfield, on Friday, 31 January. Then, on Friday, 7 February, they will continue to the now familiar setting of the Stadio Monigo in Treviso against Wales.
Following the first break, France will play at home on Saturday, 22nd February. England will then host their match at the Recreation Ground in Bath on Friday, 7th March. Finally, the tournament concludes with the last match at home against Ireland on Friday, 14th March.
Meanwhile, Ireland will also be the opponent for the final Test of the year next Friday in Dublin. The Italian squad, led by new head coach Roberto Santamaria and assistants Andrea Marcato and Alessandro Lodi, will soon depart for the Emerald Isle.
"Ireland is a team we know well, having played against them often in recent years, even in terms of preparation - comments the second-row and back-row Giacomo Milano, born in 2005 in his second year with the under-20 national team -. They are a cynical team and a match that last year at the Six Nations left us with a bitter taste in the mouth for a defeat that came in the final minutes and by a narrow margin. Considering, then, that we could have been the first to beat them at home in a long time, the regret increases, but these are all matches that serve to gain experience and continue to work in the best way to do well".
Roman birth for the versatile forward, who began taking his first steps in the environment at 11 years old with the Nuova Rugby Roma, then moving on to the Academies, in the Training Center of Rome, and moving to Capitolina in the under 18s.
"I had tried other disciplines, but I couldn't find the right one and no one in my family had played rugby before me. I've always liked contact, as well as being part of a group and therefore team sports. One day my father took me to try and it was love at first sight. In general, I like all contact sports, MMA, boxing, but also others like basketball, tennis, and football, I'm a huge Roma fan, but unfortunately this year it's not giving us much joy".
This year, he will join the FIR Academy in Parma, on the Zebre side, coached by the former Rovigo coach who won the championship two years ago, Alessandro Lodi, when asked about Biagi, said: "He is a player who prefers the offensive and defensive contact area. Very dedicated to work, competitive. Clearly he still has work to do, both on a technical and physical level. As a person, he is undoubtedly a polite, respectable boy and someone you can trust".
Officially, Giacomo is registered and plays with Noceto in Serie A, but he is often "loaned" to Zebre for training and official matches.
So far three appearances and unfortunately as many defeats with the ducal franchise. The debut in the final minutes of the match lost by a narrow margin against the Lions in URC and then a European double, with debut in the Challenge Cup in Galway two weeks ago against Connacht, and the last home match against LOU, Lyon Olympique Universitaire, where he played a leading role.
In Parma he also met Massimo Brunello again, the coach who launched him into the national team at the Six Nations in his category last year and who showed courage in believing in him and preferring him to more experienced players.
"It's an aspect that, in fact, I appreciate very much and it influenced the choice to come to Zebre, in addition to cheering for this team and the dream of being able to wear such a representative shirt. Here I found a large part of the staff that I already knew from the Italy under 20, and just like with the person who currently coaches the national team, there is an excellent relationship on a human level.
I am happy in Parma and I have found a good environment. We are all working well and all my teammates have helped me fit into the team. I can only thank them for the opportunity that I have been given to play some games at the start of this season, because it is not something to be taken for granted, but rather something to be conquered and I, for my part, put a lot of effort and dedication into my daily work. I believe that we are on the right path and we hope to continue like this.
On a personal level, it's a great emotion, a dream come true to be able to play with international players for the first time and I can only be proud of it."
BLUE PERSPECTIVES
The ideas on what the blue path was last year are also clear.
"Personally, I didn't get off to a good start, because I was recovering from an injury and in general the whole team didn't play well in the first match against England. There are always many things to consider on an emotional and sporting level when you talk about guys who are just twenty years old or younger, who maybe still go to school, although obviously that's not meant to be an excuse.
Taking part in the Six Nations is the highest level I have reached in my career to date, together with the Junior World Championship, and overall it has been a very important experience.
In the second part, I and we got into gear and great satisfactions arrived, which did not come by chance, but as a corollary of the hard work of the previous months.
At the debut we were perhaps not super prepared, even if it was clear that England was the strongest team in the tournament. From then on, we understood the level better. We came very close against Ireland and offered a great display of character against France, learning from the mistakes of the previous away match: they are, after all, all sporting and life lessons".
Perhaps the greatest disappointment, however, came on the final day, when Italy aimed to improve on their 2023 result, but fell short against Wales.
"Playing away from home is never easy and not all of us are yet so to speak mature, even if I repeat that it is not meant to be an excuse. A drop in form, however, can happen and there are mitigating circumstances. Against Wales it was perhaps the game with the worst approach. We knew from the start that it was within our reach and we didn't manage it well, us lads, certainly not the technical staff. As I have already said, however, they are all stones to be put together in the formation of a player".
Soon, with the collaboration of the Federation, Giacomo also plans to enroll in university, majoring in Sports Science, and being in his second year of national team, in addition to having accumulated the recent, important experience with Zebre, he is a candidate for a leading role with Italy at the next Championship.
"It's always a great challenge - he confirms -, every year at the Six Nations there is a desire to improve. We will play three games at home and this can help us, but we also have some tough away games. We always work to do well. We start with Scotland and then Wales comes to us, those who on paper are the easier opponents, while the second part should be tougher".
His whole family follows him in the stands: dad, mom and two sisters - "they are always there and support me despite my many work and study commitments" he confesses -, and for tomorrow the model to aspire to is one.
"Pieter-Steph du Toit is my idol and the player I look up to, even if unfortunately I don't have his physique."
