Italy host Wales in Rome today where victory for the Azzurri will see them record two wins in the Six Nations for the very first time since they joined the tournament in 2000.
While Italy are buzzing with confidence following their first away victory in the championship against Scotland last month, Wales' morale is at a low after three straight defeats.
Conditions would seem perfect for Italy to claim back-to-back wins, but Italy coach Pierre Berbizier is not underestimating the wounded Welsh.
"Wales deserve our utmost respect," the former France scrumhalf said.
"They will come determined to get a good result, while we want to confirm our progress.
"We beat Scotland and we want to carry some of that euphoria into Saturday's match, but at the same time we cannot afford to lose our discipline," he said.
The Azzurri's first away win has raised the profile of Italian rugby considerably, but second row Santiago Dellape insisted the team's feet were firmly on the ground.
"Thanks to the attention from the media, people are now stopping us in the streets," he said.
"But we must remain humble. We haven't won the World Cup, just one match.
"It's going to be a real battle against Wales. They always give us problems," Dellape said.
Wales prop Gethin Jenkins is expecting a fierce scrap with Italy's powerful front row.
"Italy's confidence will have been boosted by winning an away game at Murrayfield and impressing against England," he said.
"They once again showed they are not a side to be taken lightly, and they will want to turn us over.
"Their forwards seem to improve every year and their pack is now pretty good, so it's going to be tough, without a doubt," he said.
Berbizier has made three changes to his starting XV.
Wing Andrea Masi and prop Martin Castrogiovanni were both injured in the historic 37-17 win over the Scots, meaning places for Matteo Pratichetti and Carlos Nieto respectively.
Argentina-born Ramiro Pez is recalled at flyhalf at the expense of Andrea Scannavacca.
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38