Spritz & Scrums - Italian Rugby Podcast

Welcome back to the Italian Rugby Podcast! Four weeks in, zero wins from eight across both Benetton and Zebre — but we're still here, and so are you. In this episode we break down Benetton's European Challenge Cup opener away at Castres (18-9 loss), where the attack still isn't clicking and the basics are letting them down. We also cover Zebre's Challenge Cup clash at home to Ulster (21-40), where a 19-0 halftime deficit was met with a spirited second-half fightback that earned bonus-point respect. 00:00 - Welcome & going family-friendly 05:00 - Castres vs Benetton match review 09:00 - Benetton's basic skills issues 13:00 - Glasgow preview & Franco Smith warning 17:00 - Full-time score & highlights analysis 21:00 - Benetton vs Zebre expectations 25:00 - Zebre vs Ulster match review 32:00 - Zebre's passion & spirit 41:00 - Coach's Florence adventures 45:00 - Autumn test squad & sign-off Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Both Italian sides remain winless after three rounds of the United Rugby Championship. Benetton threw away another game with poor tackling, while Zebre showed fight despite losing to table-topping Edinburgh. The hosts look ahead to the EPCR as a fresh start, share a wild night out at an Irish bar, and predict Italy will shock France in the Six Nations. 00:00 — Intro & welcome from Florence 00:55 — Benetton vs Scarlets: lost 27-26 01:25 — Benetton's table position: 15th, all losses to bottom-half teams 02:17 — First half good, second half collapse 02:30 — Lewis Liner standout performance 03:12 — Tackling problems & Retafa's missed tackle 05:17 — Bad attitude coming out after halftime 05:55 — Forward pack dominance not exploited 08:50 — Team-wide attitude problem, not individuals 10:40 — Controversial disallowed try (came off his knee) 12:39 — Final score & who is Owens? 13:14 — Zebre vs Edinburgh review begins 14:28 — Fusco's brilliant try from his own 22 15:24 — Zebre's positives: energy, drive, camaraderie 17:18 — Looking ahead: EPCR — Benetton vs Castres, Zebre vs Ulster 19:21 — What made Coach Mad: not exploiting patterns 19:51 — Meeting the 19-year-old Australians in Florence 21:23 — Shout-out: The Old Stove Irish Bar 22:24 — Outro: Italian rugby not looking good 22:48 — Prediction: Italy will beat France in the Six Nations 23:59 — Sign-off Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Season 5 is here and it already feels like Season 4. Benetton are 0 from 2 at home after a crushing loss to Connacht, with 20 missed tackles and a worrying lack of desire in the backs. Meanwhile, Zebre put in a stunning late comeback against Cardiff, scoring three tries in nine minutes and showing the heart Benetton are missing. We break down both games, look ahead to Week 3 (Scarlets away and Edinburgh at home), and discuss whether Jacob Umaga can become the leader Benetton's backs desperately need. Plus: Italian gym membership bureaucracy, the lost phone saga, and why carrier pigeons should make a comeback. 00:00 — Intro & Benetton defense 05:00 — 20 missed tackles 08:30 — Backs don't care 10:00 — Leaders & Negri injury 13:00 — Who leads the backs? 15:00 — Negri prognosis 17:30 — Scarlets must-win 20:00 — Zebre backline & Allan 25:00 — Tommy Allan & carrier pigeons 30:00 — Gym hassle & lost phone 35:00 — Phone tracker & anger 39:00 — Sign-off Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Spritz & Scrums! We kicked off the 2026/27 URC season with our ultimate Italian "Super Rugby Grand Tour" — traveling through Treviso, Venice, Parma, and ending in Florence. While the rugby on the pitch had its ups and downs, the trip was a 12/10! Join us live from our Mercedes as we dissect Benetton’s frustrating 19-19 draw against the Dragons, take a look at Zebre Parma’s spirited performance against a full-strength Bulls side, check in on Stadio Monigo's new stand, review the new United Colors of Benetton apparel, and share a few personal updates. Grab a spritz and join the chat in the comments! 00:00 Intro & Welcome to Spritz and Scrums 01:36 The URC Grand Tour: Treviso, Venice, Parma & Florence 02:52 New stand at Stadio Monigo 05:38 Benetton vs Dragons: Match Review 10:39 Benetton's Leadership Vacuum & Player Exodus 17:51 New Benetton Merch: United Colors of Benetton Retro Shirts 21:41 Zebre Parma vs Bulls: Match Review 29:23 Zebre's Fighting Spirit & Season Outlook 31:01 What Made Coach Mad This Week 37:15 Outro, Shoutouts & Sign-Off Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back! After the longest break in Spritz and Scrums history, the trio reunites. It's the 2025-2026 Italian rugby season review. We cover everything: the Azzurri's historic first-ever win over England in the Six Nations, a brutal summer tour, Benetton's dismal URC campaign and the arrival of Wayne Pivac, Zebre Parma's closest-ever season with Tommaso Allan heading back to Italy, the Women's Azzurri's strongest Six Nations yet, and the Under 18s demolishing England 46-26. Oh, and there's a Rugby World Cup next year. Yes, really. 00:00 - Welcome Back & Coach's Weight Loss 04:12 - 2025-2026 Season Overview 08:48 - Italy Beat England for the First Time 10:24 - Azzurri: Autumn Tests & Summer Tour 14:54 - Azzurri Season Rating & Rankings 18:45 - Italians in the Premiership & Top 14 25:00 - Women's Italian Rugby 28:00 - Benetton Rugby & Wayne Pivac 36:30 - Coach's Big News: Moving to Florence 46:40 - Zebre Parma & Tommaso Allan 57:00 - Under 20s, Under 18s & Looking Ahead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spritz and Scrums is back! It's been a wild final home weekend for both Italian URC clubs. Benetton pull off one of their most memorable results in years, beating a fully-loaded Leinster side with the last kick of the game — their first home win over Leinster since 2010 — in front of a sold-out, record-breaking crowd Meanwhile, Zebre suffered heartbreak, conceding a late try to Dragons in an 18-19 loss that summed up a season of near-misses. We also bid farewell to some huge departures, reflect on the highs and lows of Benetton's wildly inconsistent season, celebrate Tommy Allen's signing for Zebre, and round off with a brilliant Italy Women's Six Nations win over Scotland. All that, with our usual blend of passion, spritz, and mild existential crisis. 00:00 – Intro & Benetton Beat Leinster Reaction 02:28 – The Historic Win: First Home Win vs Leinster Since 2010 05:37 – Match Breakdown & Emotional Atmosphere 08:26 – Farewell 13:14 – Benetton's Season of Inconsistency 17:32 – The Gaslighting Continues: Peaks & Troughs 20:22 – Zebre vs Dragons: Heartbreak in the Final Minute 23:22 – Tommy Allen Signs for Zebre 25:33 – Zebre's Season Review & Departures 27:49 – Italy Women Beat Scotland 41-14 31:14 – South Africa Fixtures & End of Season Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another week, another painful one for Italian rugby fans. We break down Benetton's 15-45 home defeat to Munster including a bittersweet milestone for Seb Negri on his 100th cap and relive Zebre's heartbreaking 30-31 loss away at Edinburgh, where they were arguably robbed by one of the worst penalty reversals you'll ever see. We talk about what went wrong, what (little) went right and what to expect in the final home games of the season. 00:00 Intro & Welcome 00:20 Season Check-in: Where Are We? 02:02 Benetton vs Munster Recap 03:51 Seb Negri's 100th Cap 10:31 Zebre vs Edinburgh Recap 17:45 Try of the Season – The 46th Minute Wonder Try 21:15 What Made Coach Mad This Week 24:35 Any Other Business 26:27 Outro & Sign Off Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Both Italian sides are out of Europe EPRC Challenge Cup and the Spritz and Scrums crew are not taking it well. This week, the three Benetton fans process the heartbreak of a 41-point home defeat that still wasn't enough, a referee decision that still stings, a Bilbao fund that never was, and a hangover-induced £100 bet that didn't pay off. They also cover Zebre's flat performance against Dragons, the Italians who shone in Exeter's run, the coaching change that could transform next season, and the worrying state of Benetton's defense heading into the summer. 00:00 Intro 00:38 Benetton vs Exeter 19:50 Looking Ahead 26:39 Italians at Exeter 29:49 Zebre vs Dragons 38:00 Completely Unjustified Hope Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Benetton survive a nervy 38–35 thriller vs Cardiff to reach the EPCR Challenge Cup quarterfinals, while Zebre dominate Pau 31–15 for a historic home quarter-final. We break down the games! 00:00 - Intro & Bilbao Fund 02:30 - Introductions 02:43 - Benetton vs Cardiff Overview 04:51 - The First 13 Minutes Breakdown 07:31 - Benetton's Defensive Woes 22:08 - Zebre vs Pau 32:30 - Potential Semifinals & Bilbao Fund Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

URC is coming to a close! We talk about how Benetton Rugby fight hard at Glasgow, Zebre fall to Ulster with 14 men, and Italy miss yet another football World Cup 00:00 - Intro 06:32 - Glasgow vs Benetton 21:49 - Zebre vs Ulster 29:44 - Challenge Cup Preview 34:04 - What made Ele mad 40:07 - Any Other Business 41:07 - Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Italy's historic Six Nations campaign gets the full post-mortem treatment! We break down the emotional rollercoaster of beating England for the first time ever, only to get absolutely battered by Wales in the final match. Was it exhaustion? Lack of depth? Or just Wales playing the game of their lives? We debate whether it's an A-minus or straight-A performance for the Azzurri. Then it's back to URC action where Zebra embarrassingly gifted Scarlets a 29-0 lead before finally remembering how to play rugby, while Benetton put on an attacking masterclass against Ospreys that had us tasting spritz through the screen. (0:00) - Six Nations Recap (21:16) - URC Round Up (36:50) - Upcoming matches preview (37:34) - What Made Coach Mad (42:54) - Wrap Up Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Italy makes rugby history! Italy finally defeats England 23-18 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome during the Guinness Six Nations. Join us as we break down this historic victory, analyze the tactical battle, celebrate Italy's rising rugby dominance and look ahead to the Wales matchup. From match day atmosphere to controversial English punditry, we cover it all. Spritz is for winners! 00:08 - Italy's Historic Win Over England 08:00 - Game Analysis & Tactical Breakdown 20:00 - English Punditry & Media Response 34:00 - Italy's Bench Impact & Game Management 40:00 - Match Day Experience & Atmosphere 55:00 - Looking Ahead to Wales 57:00 - What Made Coach Mad This Week Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We look ahead to the Italy vs England Guinness Six Nations game this weekend in Rome and also some URC Rugby happened at the weekend we also talk about that... 00:00 - URC Results: Benetton & Zebre 00:58 - Benetton vs Dragons Analysis 13:15 - Zebre vs Munster Recap 22:02 - Six Nations: Italy vs England Preview 36:44 - Final Thoughts & Travel Plans Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

France vs Italy in the Guinness Six Nations was an incredible game and we talk about it and we look ahead to the biggest game of the 6 nations in Rome against England! 00:00 - Welcome 02:28 - Italy vs France Match Recap 19:40 - Italy's Arrival as Test Match Players 37:28 - Looking Ahead: Italy vs England 45:53 - What Made Coach Mad 54:38 - Benetton Head Coach News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk about the best game of the last weekend Guinness 6 nations - Ireland vs Italy - the near win and not a forward pass! We also look ahead to the France vs Italy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Guinness Rugby Six Nations is here! And we kick off talking about Italy's big win over Scotland! We also look forward to Italy vs Ireland and how we think that's going to go down! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We look at Italy's chances for the 2026 Men's Rugby 6 Nations and how the Italian Club teams have given us little to calm the nerves! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPRC Group stages are over for the Italian sides with Zebre vs Black Lions/ Lyon vs Benetton we talk about the next stages and their chances! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPRC Challenge Cup weekend for the Italian Rugby teams this weekend we talk about Benetton vs Dragons / Zebre vs Ospreys and how we think they will fair in the next round! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First rugby games of the URC 2026 and we try and keep positive talking about Benetton Edinburgh and Glasgow vs Zebre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.