The man behind the historic victory three years ago will now face them again in Udine: “Italy has grown. I want to take on the All Blacks again.”
He was there three years ago. He was on the field, in the stands, at home, and even in front of the screen. In his hometown of Florence, Niccolò Cannone was the man everywhere, the most incredulous and moved of all at the final whistle of that historic 28-27 victory that the Australians still haven’t forgotten. And tomorrow in Udine—the first of three test matches awaiting the Azzurri: South Africa on Saturday the 15th and Chile on Saturday the 22nd—they will want immediate revenge.
Niccolò, let’s start from there, from November 12, 2022. What do you remember?
“Everything, I remember everything. I felt terrible before the game, but it was the kind of terrible that’s almost beautiful, because it was the first time I was playing at home, and there were a trillion friends and relatives at the Franchi stadium. And my brother Lorenzo was on the field too, which I never even dreamed of… These are emotions that only this sport can give you.“
Have you thought about it again on the eve of Italy-Australia?
”Of course, I went on my phone to look at the photos of the feat. Actually, I always think about it. After all, the background of my smartphone is the flag-wavers with the lily of Florence that I saw that day.”
Before rugby, you played soccer for nine years as a goalkeeper. Then you went through the youth ranks, the Academy, Petrarca, and finally, since 2018, you’ve been in Treviso. After your success in Florence, did you ever say to yourself, “I did it”?
“Never. That success was certainly an important milestone in my career, but I’m aiming much, much higher.“
Coach Quesada’s cycle is halfway through, with about 700 days to go until the World Cup. Has his Italy already taken shape?
”Right from the start. He has always been very clear with us: we have to bring out our Italian spirit and our passion, be an inspiration for children and beyond. That’s how we quickly managed to create our identity. We’re doing very well now, we couldn’t wait to get together and show what we’re capable of, starting with Australia. We’ll have to be good at limiting their dynamism and individuality.”
In recent days, he also invited his friend, coach Julio Velasco, to the training camp…
“It was a very motivating meeting. I could have listened to him for hours without getting distracted. There was also time to ask some questions, and I asked him how volleyball players train, plus other things that will remain between us.”
He usually gets emotional during the national anthem. How many of those tears are the result of the teachings of his first coach, “Ciafo” Ghelardi, and how many are due to an adolescence made difficult by his parents’ separation?
“It’s definitely a mixture of emotions every time. The separation was a very difficult time that helped me grow and strengthened my bond with my brother even more, but if it hadn’t been for my grandparents, it would have been much worse. I love my parents madly and I’m not at war with anyone. As luck would have it, around the same time I met ‘Ciafo’, the coach who, between tears and headbutts against the wall, left me with the most on an emotional level.“
Did you capture something through your tattoos?
”Yes, with some writing on my side. I have eleven in total. I had the Maori-style ones done in New Zealand, and others in a hut on the island of Samoa, where the Tuilagi brothers were also. But above all, I had three quotes from Leonardo Pieraccioni’s Il Ciclone tattooed: ‘The rhythm is magic, feel it in your soul’ and ‘Dos los ramatos! Tappamis!’.”
It’s a great passion of another Florentine sportsman, shot putter Leonardo Fabbri. Do you know each other?
“Not in person, but we’ve written to each other a few times to congratulate each other. I consider him a source of pride for Florence and Italy, and I’d love to meet him, perhaps over a nice Florentine steak.”
Barbecues are another of his great passions. Along with hunting.
“And fishing for my brother. When we go back to Florence, it’s all about being surrounded by nature, friends, and family. That’s how we are, every occasion is a good one. But not in Treviso, there I’m 100% focused on rugby, and if I go into the woods, I end up getting lost…”
Between the two of you, is Lorenzo the predestined one?
“I’d say so: he made his debut in the national team before me after only one year in the Eccellenza league. More than anything else, he’s always been more athletic than me; I was a bit of a slacker at the beginning.”
However, you were the first to be designated as one of the four Azzurri captains.
“I am grateful for the trust of the coach and my teammates, and I hope to take on this role soon. When I look back, I think of not being called up for the match against Namibia in the last World Cup. That was certainly the hardest moment, but I was able to react and lead the team in the last tour in South Africa. And I’m still hungry for more.”
Italy recently beat South Africa and Australia. Will they manage to beat the All Blacks sooner or later?
“It would be a dream come true. I’m a huge fan of the New Zealand team from a few years ago, the one with Sonny Bill Williams and Brodie Retallick. I’d love to face them again.”
