KEY POINTS:
ROME - While Italy won't emulate their footballing counterparts by becoming world rugby champions, it's equally certain that the confident Azzurri will feel their campaign in France to have been a failure if they don't make the quarter-finals.
Under former French international scrum-half Pierre Berbizier, Italy have made huge strides and their Pool C clash with Scotland in St Etienne on September 29 will be the most crucial in a group set to be dominated by the All Blacks.
Italy are coming off the back of their most successful Six Nations where they beat Wales in Rome and Scotland in Edinburgh, their first away from home in the tournament, and they have a squad now packed with experience, none more so than scrum-half Alessandro Troncon, about to appear in his fourth World Cup.
Berbizier, who will stand down after the competition, believes Italy can even give New Zealand a scare when they meet in Marseille on September 8.
"We are working to get ready for the clash against New Zealand," said Berbizier, who guided France to the 1995 semi-finals and who took over from John Kirwan at the Italian helm in 2005.
"I can see a strong team here; our mentality has changed so much in the last year."
Italy beat Canada and Tonga at the last World Cup and will once again be relying on old warhorses such as skipper Marco Bortolami, Mauro Bergamasco as well as Troncon to fire them to the last eight where either France or Ireland could be waiting.
Troncon has 95 caps while Bortolami, Bergamasco and Andrea Lo Cicero all have played more than 50 internationals.
Such is the faith that Berbizier has in the Azzurri that Fijian-born loose forward Manoa Vosawai is the only uncapped player in the 30-man squad for the finals.
But despite their confidence, even the most diehard Italian fan would be hard-pressed to see them getting beyond the last eight.
"The All Blacks are the team to beat," said Troncon. "But France are playing at home and they can turn it on in front of 80,000 fans so I would not be surprised if they won the tournament.
"Also we can't forget teams like Australia and South Africa who have great individuals in their ranks.
"Argentina could be the tournament surprise package as they always upset at least one of the big favourites."
Flanker Bergamasco added that whatever happens in the finals, Italy will miss Berbizier.
"It's a shame because with him Italy have made a constant improvement," he said.
"We've got a solid base of players and a plan, and the results speak for themselves. Berbizier has given us great confidence in ourselves. We have a lot of mutual respect for each other and he has always been highly professional."
COACH
Pierre Berbizier
The former France coach returns to his homeland for the World Cup determined to show his compatriots that his Italian team are far from tournament makeweights. The 49-year-old played 56 times at scrum-half for the French national side between 1981 and 1991 and then coached France to the 1995 World Cup semi-finals in South Africa, but was sacked after a fallout with the federation.
France's loss was Italy's gain with Berbizier taking over from John Kirwan after the 2005 Six Nations with the Azzurri achieving memorable wins over Wales and Scotland in the 2007 edition.
KEY PLAYER
Alessandro Troncon, scrum-half
Influential scrum-half has 95 caps and is about to embark on his fourth World Cup campaign having played in 10 matches in total at the 1995, 1999 and 2003 finals. The 33-year-old could reach the magical 100 appearances in the Pool C match against Portugal on September 19. He was recalled to the Azzurri in time for the 2007 Six Nations and helped Italy beat Wales and Scotland.
