Spritz & Scrums - Italian Rugby Podcast

Spritz and Scrums is back, and we are on a train from Venice to Rome still reeling from a heartbreaking weekend of Italian rugby. Benetton blew a 17-nil lead against Glasgow to lose in the final three minutes, while Zebre scored five tries away at Connacht but still came up short. We break down the brilliance of Benetton's first 50 minutes, the six-minute yellow-card collapse, questionable bench decisions, and why young props need to learn the dark arts of referee management. Then it's on to Zebre's encouraging attacking displays, their ongoing defensive struggles, and the emerging young talent coming through. Off the pitch, the "Lyon Fund" betting strategy is in tatters (£100 down and counting), someone's stolen a pair of personalized Ray-Bans from the stadium, and Coach is fuming about Guinness pour times. Plus: injury updates for Italy ahead of the Autumn Nations, who should replace Lamaro as Azzurri captain, and a very happy birthday to Louis Warchon.

| 0:00 | Intro: On the train, five weeks nil wins

| 1:12 | Benetton vs Glasgow: The heartbreak begins

| 2:10 | First half brilliance: 17-nil and flying

| 4:39 | The collapse: Six minutes, three tries, yellow card

| 6:34 | Experience vs youth: Scrums, refs & Lions savvy

| 7:58 | Injuries: Lamaro's 100th cap ends in broken hand

| 8:59 | Bench decisions: Why did they take Rhino off?

| 10:07 | The Lyon Fund: Betting against your own team

| 13:08 | Connacht vs Zebre: Five tries away from home

| 15:25 | Zebre's defense: Effort without a plan

| 16:18 | Stabile's smash & the Argentina question

| 16:50 | Young talent: Zebre's whipper-snappers

| 17:57 | Next week: Benetton vs Edinburgh, Zebre vs Dragons

| 19:07 | Being supporters: Highs, lows & social media

| 21:00 | What made Coach mad: Guinness pour times

| 21:55 | The stolen Ray-Bans saga

| 23:03 | Italy's injury crisis & the captaincy question

| 23:48 | Outro: Happy birthday Louis Warchon

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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