Conor O'Shea wants to leave a lasting legacy in Italian rugby as they gear up to face England in the upcoming Six Nations campaign opener on Sunday.
The 47-year-old took charge of Italy post-summer 2016 and is contracted until the 2019 World Cup. O'Shea insisted on building the right set of players and give them the confidence to compete with formidable teams going forward.
"We're just going to show some exciting talent we have emerging. We'll hopefully ask some questions that weren't quite expected of us," O'Shea said in an exclusive interview to ESPN.
“There's a work-rate and a desire. I'm excited for the future of Italian rugby but as I keep on saying to the players, our future is now. Our future is never two, four, six years' time -- a lot of this team will be around in six or eight years' time and they can grow into something very, very formidable.
"I think we're getting there quicker than people think but fully aware that if people want a headline, an immediate result then they'll get an opportunity at some stage to have a go.
"We know we're on the right path. A journey in sport is not supposed to be easy, if it was easy then everyone would do it. We have to have a group of people who are willing to admit that. There will be some dark, tough times but I know that we are doing the right things."
The last time Italy met England, it was O'Shea's ruckless tactic that grabbed the headline as they gave the red rose team a serious fight allowing them just a two-point lead at the end 60 minutes.
"Everyone focused on five or six occasions when we did something different.
"What I thought was lost was our performance that day, the heart, the will, the desire not to roll over."
O'Shea has hired the services of former New Zealand rugby coach Wayne Smith as a consultant and he will be joining Italy for a camp ahead of their summer and autumn Tests. The former Harlequins boss stressed on the need to find the Italian identity to the game rather than playing hard like the All Blacks do.
"We have to find an Italian identity and it's based our fitness levels, physicality and flair.
“I liken it to the Italian football teams who we grew up watching in the 1980s and 90s who used to go to World Cups.
“They'd have an unbelievable defence, like [Dino] Zoff and [Gianluigi] Buffon, they'd have the Maldinis of this world and then up front they'd have a [Toto] Schillaci, a [Paolo] Rossi or [Roberto] Baggio. It's getting that marriage.
“You'd have that tough defence but then the flair and magic. The Italian word is 'equilibrio'."
