Milan (AFP) - Ange Capuozzo is ready to give rugby's big boys a bloody nose as Italy prepare to take on holders France in their Six Nations opener in Rome on Sunday.
France-born Capuozzo will be facing a clutch of his teammates from Top 14 leaders Toulouse at the Stadio Olimpico, the first of three home matches for the Azzurri this year alongside the visits of Ireland and Wales.
Capuozzo was key to Italy ending their 36-match losing streak in the competition in Cardiff against Wales last year and after beating Australia in the Autumn Nations Series the full-back feels Italy are ready to bely their status as underdogs.
"Australia is a great rugby nation, so why can't we win a match against the All Blacks or France?We know it's possible...from the moment we beat Australia anything is possible," Capuozzo told Sky.
Considered too small to make it as he was growing up, Capuozzo is the rising star of a Italy team which is also on the up, his exciting play key to the big wins which over the last year have changed the Azzurri's outlook in international rugby.
The 23-year-old only made his senior debut for Italy against Scotland in last year's Six Nations, but despite playing a handful of Tests he has made a huge impact.
He scored two tries against Scotland in March and then in his second match helped end Italy's Six Nations losing streak with a stunning run from beyond his own 10-metre line before feeding Edoardo Padovani to score the decisive converted try.
Belief
"After that Wales match we started to expect more from ourselves," Capuozzo said.
He then scored two of Italy's three tries in their first ever win over Australia, a single-point triumph in Florence in November which came after a heart-stopping finale in which the Wallabies' Ben Donaldson missed a conversion after the hooter.
"The crowd, the stadium, the way we won in the last second, that match is important for the future, for the Six Nations and afterwards the World Cup," said Capuozzo.
It was a historic win described by Kieran Crowley as being "way up there" with his the best of his coaching career.
It's under Crowley that Italy have become an exciting young team not afraid to get ball in hand and attack, and recent improved performances led the head of the Italian Rugby Federation Marzio Innocente to say last week that he expected Italy to win "at least" two matches in the Six Nations.
"We want to play a proper part in this Six Nations.This year we want to go out there for all five of our matches with the idea of winning, and we know that we're capable of doing it," he told reporters.
However former All Black Crowley knows Italy will still go into this winter's tournament more likely to get the wooden spoon than win the whole thing, their 63-21 hammering at the hands of South African a reminder that there is still a long way to go.
"If you took a poll right now people are thinking where teams are going to finish in the Six Nations I would picture Italy would be sixth," Crowley said last week.
"We'll be the underdogs again, which is fine.We'll just concentrate on what we do."
