X-factor can give Italy core-team status, says coach Andy Vilk
Italy has enough players with the X-factor to create waves in the 12-team qualifying tournament this weekend, said former England sevens star and coach Andy Vilk.
Italy has enough players with the X-factor to create waves in the 12-team qualifying tournament this weekend, said former England sevens star and coach Andy Vilk.
He is confident his team can go all the way and win the solitary core team spot available for the IRB Sevens World Series next season.
Vilk, a member of the last England team to win at the Hong Kong Sevens - in 2006 - was last June offered the challenge by the Italian Rugby Union to get the country into the World Series as they look ahead to the 2016 Olympics. Despite his short stint, the Englishman is confident his new team have the skill and style to emerge triumphant on Sunday.
The guys are passionate and if we can control that passion and make sure it doesn't work against us, we can do well
"That is our aim, to win that core team spot," Vilk said. "We are a little bit of an unknown quantity and I suppose that is one of our strengths. The guys are passionate and if we can control that passion and make sure it doesn't work against us, we can do well.
"We have got the guys who play a little bit in the French style, players who have the X-factor, and I want these guys to pull that out in games as that is what will make the difference in the end."
Hong Kong are drawn with Italy in the preliminary pool - Tunisia and American Samoa are the other two teams - and consider the Europeans as a danger with Dai Rees, Hong Kong Rugby Football Union's head of technical development and performance, already marking them down as the dark horse.
"We don't know much about them," said a wary Rees.