Quesada shields Garbisi after Italy squander late chance to beat Argentina in Genoa

Italy fell to a 19-14 Nations Championship defeat against Argentina in Genoa, with a missed penalty touchfinder from fly-half Paolo Garbisi in the final play denying the Azzurri a famous victory. Head coach Gonzalo Quesada declined to lay blame at any individual’s door, pointing instead to his side’s inability to convert a period of clear first-half control into a commanding lead.

“From the 20th to the 30th minute it was the moment when we really had to crush them and we were not ruthless,” Quesada said. “Instead we gave them the chance, even through some of our mistakes, especially in the scrum, to get back into the game. The key was there.”

Despite the loss, Quesada expressed satisfaction with the response his players had shown following a heavy defeat to South Africa the previous week. “We did a great job, with a truly impressive level of determination and character,” he said. “We created the conditions to win against Argentina, and it was by no means a given.”

The Italian coach acknowledged the pain of falling short so late. “Knowing that, after all the work done together during the week, with thirty seconds to go we could have won against Argentina in Genoa, and that it also depended on us, hurts,” he said. “We had the tools and the chance to win, but we let the opportunity pass. We are still missing something, we have to be more solid.”

Captain Giacomo Nicotera identified game management as the area most in need of improvement. “When I was on the pitch I had the feeling that there were moments when we could have better managed the momentum of the game,” the hooker said. “Even in numerical parity there were moments when we could have managed possession better, stayed organised and kept control of the game.”

Quesada was also keen to draw a line between this result and Italy’s summer performances. “The match against Australia was an unacceptable game, there are no excuses,” he said. “For me this defeat is not in the same category.”

With the November window drawing to a close, the Italy head coach framed the remaining lessons as urgent, noting that the Six Nations and the Rugby World Cup would leave little room for further development.